Collin County Man Guilty of Federal Tax Violations

      PLANO, Texas – A 48-year-old McKinney, Texas man has pleaded guilty to federal violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Brit Featherston today.

      Peter Mwedziwendira pleaded guilty on Mar. 28, 2017, to filing false personal tax returns before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kimberly C. Priest Johnson.

      According to information presented in court, Mwedziwendira admitted to filing false personal tax returns for himself for tax years 2011, 2012 and 2013. In those false returns, Mwedziwendira falsely claimed that he was entitled to a Head of Household filing status and also falsely claimed the Earned Income Tax Credit and the Child Tax Credit in addition to false educational expenses. Mwedziwendira also admitted to preparing false tax returns for several of his clients for the 2011, 2012 and 2013 tax years. Mwedziwendira’s actions caused a tax loss to the Internal Revenue Service of $248,332. He was indicted in February 2017 by a federal grand jury.

      Under federal statutes, Mwedziwendira faces up to three years in federal prison at sentencing. The maximum statutory sentence prescribed by Congress is provided here for information purposes, as the sentencing will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the U.S. Probation Office.

      This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Andrew Williams.

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