Denton Tax Preparer Sentenced to Federal Prison for Submitting Fraudulent Returns

SHERMAN, Texas - A Denton County tax preparer has been sentenced to prison for federal violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei today.

Tendai Gurure, 46, pleaded guilty on May 28, 2021 to aiding and assisting in preparation of false and fraudulent tax returns and was sentenced to 24 months in federal prison today by U.S. District Judge Jeremy Kernodle.  Gurure was additionally ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $2,928,740.10.

According to information presented in court, Gurure owned and operated TaxLinks, a tax return preparation business.  An investigation revealed that Gurure was filing returns that included false Schedule C information, fictitious business losses, and false claims for Earned Income Credits.  A search warrant was executed on Gurure’s business and a subsequent review of seized documents determined that Gurure was responsible for losses to the government totaling $2,928,740.10 for tax years 2015, 2016, and 2017.

“The American public places a tremendous amount of trust in the hands of tax preparers, and the IRS, in turn, trusts these preparers to abide by all laws and file accurate returns,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Nicholas Ganjei. “Fraudulent tax returns are ultimately a theft against the public fisc and a breach of the public trust, and EDTX will do its utmost to protect the integrity of both.”

This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin McClendon.

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