Odessa Tax Return Preparer Sentenced to Two Years in Federal Prison

In Midland today, a federal judge sentenced Markinson Auguste, owner of YeYe Tax and Multi Services in Odessa, to two years in federal prison for a scheme to defraud the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), announced United States Attorney John F. Bash and IRS-Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge Richard D. Goss, Houston Field Office.

In addition to the prison term, United States District Judge David Counts ordered Auguste to pay a $10,000 fine and restitution in the amount of $251,942 to the IRS.    

On April 23, 2018, Auguste pleaded guilty to one count of aiding or assisting in the preparation of a fraudulent federal income tax return.  By pleading guilty, Auguste admitted to preparing hundreds of fraudulent tax returns from 2012 and 2016.  According to court records, Auguste’s scheme involved adding just enough false income to the lower income tax returns he prepared for his clients, so that those clients would qualify for higher amounts of earned income tax credit.  Auguste benefited through both the tax preparation fees as well as receiving a portion of the fraudulent refunds as a kickback.  Auguste also claimed unauthorized dependents on other fraudulent tax returns in order to increase tax refunds, and then directed those tax refunds into bank accounts that he controlled.  

IRS-Criminal Investigation agents investigated this case.  Assistant United States Attorney Glenn Harwood prosecuted this case on behalf of the Government.