Rochester Tax Preparer Sentenced For Filing Fraudulent Returns

  ROCHESTER, N.Y.-- U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul, Jr. announced today that Jorge Laurido, 54, of Rochester, N.Y., who was convicted of assisting in the preparation of false tax returns, was sentenced to five years probation and a fine of $10,000 by U.S.  District Judge Frank P. Geraci, Jr.
 
Assistant U.S. Attorney Marisa J. Miller, who handled the case, stated that the defendant prepared and filed false income tax returns for tax filers in Rochester.  Specifically, the defendant filed tax returns for the years 2007 through 2010 that falsely represented the taxpayers' earned amounts of self-employment income. This allowed Laurido's clients to be eligible for larger Earned Income Credits. The false returns resulted in the taxpayers receiving larger refunds than they were entitled to. The Internal Revenue Service determined that the false tax returns prepared and filed by the defendant resulted in losses totaling $116,139.00.
 
The sentencing was the culmination of an investigation on the part of Special Agents of the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Toni Weirach.