East St. Louis Tax Preparer Indicted For Preparation Of False Tax Returns

Evelyn Johnson, d/b/a E.J. Johnson Tax Service, 53, from East St. Louis, Illinois, was charged by Indictment with twenty-nine counts of Aiding and Assisting in the Preparation of False Federal Tax Returns, Stephen R. Wigginton, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, announced today. Johnson faces a total maximum sentence of eighty-seven years in prison, a $250,000 fine and up to one year supervised release, plus mandatory restitution. The indictment alleges that Johnson operates the E.J. Johnson Tax Service in East St. Louis. The indictment further alleges that the I.R.S. sent in an undercover agent to have her taxes prepared after the I.R.S. Scheme Development Center detected a potential pattern of fraudulent returns. The indictment alleges that Johnson prepared a false return for the undercover agent that falsified itemized deductions. The indictment also charges Johnson with preparing twenty-eight other false federal tax returns.

An indictment is a formal charge against a defendant. Under the law, a defendant is presumed to be innocent of a charge until proved guilty beyond a reasonable doubt to the satisfaction of a jury.

The indictment is the result of an investigation conducted by the Internal Revenue Service/Criminal Investigations. The prosecution of the case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Norman R. Smith.