Owner of Tax Preparation Businesses Convicted of Tax Fraud

Following a five-day trial before U.S. District Court Judge Robert. N. Scola, Jr., a jury convicted Tamara Jeune, a/k/a “Tamara Voltaire”, 44, of West Palm Beach, of criminal tax offenses arising out of a five-year scheme to defraud the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

Ariana Fajardo Orshan, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and Michael J. De Palma, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Miami Field Office, made the announcement.

According to the evidence presented at trial, Jeune was the owner and operator of at least two tax preparation businesses: Investment Equity Development, Inc.; and Jacob G. Jeune, P.A. As part of her scheme, Jeune, who previously was convicted of tax preparation fraud, fraudulently obtained Electronic Filing Identification Numbers (EFINs) and Preparer Tax Identification Numbers (PTINs) in the names of other individuals who acted as “straw” EFIN and PTIN holders.  The defendant then used those EFINs and PTINs to file fraudulent federal income tax returns with the IRS using stolen personal identifying information (PII) of other individuals, including her clients’, without their authorization and knowledge.  These tax returns contained false wages, employment information, expenses, and deductions.  Jeune also stole the PII of minors, who were at times her clients’ dependents, and then submitted false tax returns in their names. 

As part of her scheme, the defendant directed the IRS to send the tax refund money associated with the false and fraudulent federal income tax returns to bank accounts that she controlled. She then used the money to pay for her personal expenses.  The IRS suffered a loss in excess of $700,000.

Jeune is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Scola on July 31, 2019, at 8:30 a.m.  This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Roger Cruz and Yisel Valdes.

Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.