Former IRS Employee Sentenced for False Tax Returns

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A former IRS employee has been sentenced in federal court for filing false tax returns.

Carla Lachelle Mitchell, 49, of Kansas City, Kan., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Gary A. Fenner on Monday, April 16, 2018, to one year and one day in federal prison. The court also ordered Mitchell to pay $137,483 in restitution.

Mitchell worked as a lead contact representative at the IRS Service Center in Kansas City, Mo., from 2006 to 2015. Mitchell admitted that while employed by the IRS she prepared false federal income tax returns for 2011, 2012 and 2013 for 13 of her friends and family, as well as herself.

When preparing tax returns, Mitchell included several false entries (such as fraudulent wages or dependents) to lower the individual tax liability or to increase their refunds. Mitchell has been linked to 27 fraudulent returns through her admissions, witness statements and IP addresses. According to court records, Mitchell also filed tax returns seeking fraudulent refunds in the names of two people without their authorization, stealing their identities in order to do so.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathleen D. Mahoney. It was investigated by IRS-Criminal Investigation and the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration.