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Press Release
Indianapolis - United States Attorney Josh J. Minkler, today announced the sentencing of an Indianapolis woman who prepared fraudulent tax returns earning her clients returns they were not entitled to. Amber Lynch, 34, was sentenced to two years in federal prison by U. S. District Judge Jane Magnus-Stinson.
“Filing false tax returns is stealing; there is no other way to characterize it,” said Minkler. “If you steal from the U. S. Treasury, you will be held accountable.”
Amber Lynch is a former employee of the H&R Block Company who started preparing returns from her home. Returns completed between 2010 and 2013 were flagged by the IRS Fraud Detection Center in Kansas City when a pattern of household help income, abnormal student loan interest and education credits was detected. Over 400 returns were identified as coming from Lynch’s apartment.
Several of her client taxpayers were interviewed by investigators and all stated many of the deductions listed by Lynch on their returns were completely false. Lynch filed tax returns for one client two consecutive years without the client’s authorization. In total, Lynch attempted to steal over $400,000.
Special Agent in Charge Stephen Boyd stated, “The sentencing of Ms. Lynch sends a clear message to the people of Indianapolis that what she was doing was illegal, and there is a price to pay. One of IRS Criminal Investigations main objectives is to ensure that all tax practitioners, tax preparers, and others who practice in the tax law profession adhere to professional standards and follow the law. Those who break the law will be held accountable for their actions.”
According to Assistant U.S. Attorney Bradley P. Shepard, who prosecuted this case for the government, Lynch must serve one year of supervised release after her sentence.