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Press Release

Tax Preparer Convicted Of Running Tax Fraud Scheme

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of Pennsylvania

PHILADELPHIA - A federal jury, yesterday, returned guilty verdicts against Adekunle Adetayo Adeolu, a/k/a "Archie," 48, of Maryland, in a tax fraud conspiracy that involved phony claims for tax credits.  Co-defendant Olugboyega Fisher, a/k/a "Remi Fisher, 47, a Nigerian national, pleaded guilty June 5, 2012.  U.S. District Court Judge Mitchell S. Goldberg scheduled a sentencing hearing for September 10, 2013.  Fisher will be sentenced on July 10, 2013.  Adeolu faces an advisory sentencing guideline range of at least 27 to 33 months in prison; Fisher faces an advisory sentencing range of at least 15 to 21 months.  Both defendants may also be ordered to make restitution to the IRS.

Adeolu partly owned, managed, and operated Adeolu & Okojie, Inc., a tax service business located at 124 S. 52nd Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  He employed approximately 14 people, including Fisher who worked as a tax preparer.  In addition to the conspiracy count, the defendant was found guilty of two counts of aiding and abetting the preparation of materially false tax returns.

The evidence presented at trial showed that between 2005 and 2008, when a client owed federal taxes, Adeolu and Fisher would sell that person the name and social security number of an individual in order to claim that person as a dependent and/or falsely claiming on their clients’ behalf an earned income tax credit, a child tax credit, and an additional tax credit.  The jury also found that Adeolu willfully aided and assisted in the preparation of U.S. Individual Income Tax Returns that were fraudulent in that they represented that the taxpayers were entitled to claim dependents and tax credits that the defendant knew the taxpayers were not entitled to claim.

The case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jose Arteaga.

UNITED STATES ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, EASTERN DISTRICTof PENNSYLVANIA
Suite 1250, 615 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106
PATTY HARTMAN, Media Contact, 215-861-8525

Updated December 15, 2014