Former Tax Preparer Extradited and Sentenced for Filing False Returns

United States Attorney Deborah R. Gilg announced that Martin M. Mazarura, 33, was sentenced in the United States District Court in Omaha for preparing false individual income tax returns.  The Honorable Joseph F. Bataillon sentenced Mazarura to the custody of the United States Bureau of Prisons for a year and a day.  He was ordered to pay restitution in the sum of $82,738.  After his release from prison Mazarura is to begin a one year term of supervised release although he is likely to be returned to Canada following his release from the Bureau of Prisons.

In 2006 Mazarura was engaged in the business of preparing individual income tax returns from his office at 72nd and Blondo in Omaha.  The IRS Fraud Detection Center noted that Mazarura had submitted a number of returns containing inflated credits.  The case was referred to the IRS Criminal Investigation Division.

The criminal investigation focused on 18 tax returns prepared by Mazarura.  The tax loss to the United States from these 18 returns totaled $82,738.  On these returns Mazarura claimed Telephone Excise Tax credits, additional Child Care credits, and Earned Income Credits when they were not applicable or, when applicable, claimed credits well in excess of the entitled amount.  Mazarura provided his customers with dependents on their returns who were not dependents and frequently were unknown to the customer. 

Mazarura is a citizen of Zimbabwe.  He left the United States and took up residence in Canada.  He was extradited from Canada upon the understanding that after his prison sentence he be allowed the opportunity to return to Canada. 

“While most return preparers provide excellent service to their clients, a few unscrupulous tax preparers file false and fraudulent returns to defraud the government, the tax-paying public and their own clients,” said Sybil Smith, Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation.