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Press Release

Tax Preparer, Who Also Admitted Stealing Section 8 Housing Assistance Benefits, is Sentenced to 36 Months in Federal Prison

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of Texas
Defendant Also to Pay Approximately $4 Million in Restitution

DALLAS — Sherene Warren, who operated a tax preparation business in Duncanville, Texas, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Reed C. O’Connor to serve a total of 36 months in federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney John Parker of the Northern District of Texas.

Warren pleaded guilty in December 2015 to one count of aiding and assisting in the preparation of a false tax return and to one count of theft of government money.  Judge O’Connor sentenced her to 36 months in federal prison on each count, to run concurrently.  As part of her plea agreement, Warren agreed to pay $101,344.60 in restitution to the Social Security Administration (SSA).  Additional restitution of $3,955,585.84 to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and $28,786.00 to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) was also ordered.  She must surrender to the Bureau of Prisons on June 8, 2016.     

According to the factual resume filed in her case, Warren was the owner and manager of the tax preparation business Fast Tax Services that was located on N. Cedar Ridge Drive in Duncanville and then later on W. Wheatland Road in Duncanville.  Warren falsified, according to the factual resume, line items on clients’ tax returns to obtain larger refunds.  She also admitted receiving approximately $121,701 in 2010, $218,517 in 2011 and $360,491 in 2012 in fees/bonuses for preparing the tax returns.  Warren further admitted that she did not disclose any Fast Tax Services’ income on her 2010 tax returns, and that she did not file a tax return in 2011 or 2012. 

Also, according to the factual resume, Warren submitted false and fraudulent information about her income and employment to the Dallas Housing Authority in connection with receipt of Section 8 housing benefits, admitting that she stole approximately $28,786 in housing assistance to which she was not entitled.  Each year Warren submitted false and fraudulent documents to the Dallas Housing Authority showing she had no income, when, as she well knew, she received substantial income from the operation of Fast Tax Service.

IRS Criminal Investigation, the SSA Office of Inspector General and the HUD Office of Inspector General investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas Bunch was in charge of the prosecution. 

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Updated March 17, 2016

Topic
Tax