Tax Preparer Convicted Of Preparing False Tax Returns Over A Two Year Period

BATON ROUGE, LA - United States Attorney Walt Green announced that LAKINDRA WILLIAMS, age 38, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, pled guilty today before U.S. District Judge James J. Brady to aiding and assisting in the preparation of false federal tax returns in connection with a federal criminal tax investigation.

As a result of her conviction, the defendant faces up to 3 years in prison, a year of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine up to $250,000. As part of her plea agreement, the defendant is also prohibited from preparing federal tax returns and from seeking employment with a tax preparation business. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

The defendant’s conviction arose from her work in 2008 and 2009 at a tax preparation business in Baton Rouge. At today’s hearing, the defendant admitted that, while working at the tax preparation business, she prepared numerous fraudulent federal individual income tax returns which reported inflated and fictitious itemized deductions, fictitious business activity, and fictitious and inflated business expenses. As a result of the scheme, the defendant defrauded the federal government out of nearly $100,000.

U.S. Attorney Green stated: “Protecting the taxpayer’s money against fraud is a top priority of this office and the entire U.S. Department of Justice.”

This matter is being handled by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Louisiana, the Criminal Tax Division of the United States Department of Justice, and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigations. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Chris Dippel and Trial Attorney Kevin Lombardi.