Tax Return Preparer Charged in 21-Count Tax Fraud Indictment

Jacksonville, Florida – Acting United States Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow announces the unsealing of an indictment charging Ernest Ray Lewis with 17 counts of aiding and assisting in the filing false of tax returns, and 4 counts of failing to file a tax return. Each aiding and assisting offense carries a maximum penalty of three years’ imprisonment. Each failing to file a tax return offense carries a penalty of up to one year in prison.

According to the indictment, Lewis worked at a tax return preparation business in Jacksonville. The indictment alleges that Lewis knowingly reported false information on customers’ income tax returns, including false claims for business losses and dependent exemptions, which decreased the amount of money owed by the customers to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and increased the amount of tax refunds received by the customers from the IRS. The indictment specifically alleges that Lewis filed 17 false returns on behalf of 10 taxpayers for the years 2012 through 2015.

The indictment also alleges that Lewis was required to file a tax return reporting his own income for each of the years, from 2012 through 2015, but failed to do so.

The owner of the tax return preparation business (Elizabeth M. Jordan) and her daughter (Dolores A. Youmans), who worked as a preparer at the business, were also indicted on June 30, 2016, with conspiracy to defraud the IRS and aiding and assisting others with the filing of false tax returns. Their cases remain pending.

An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has violated one or more of the federal criminal laws, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.

This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Arnold B. Corsmeier.