FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE THURSDAY, MAY 5, 2005 WWW.USDOJ.GOV TAX (202) 514-2007 TDD (202) 514-1888 WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Justice Department announced today that a federal court in Orlando, Florida has permanently barred Jose A. Fernandez and Alicia C. Burgos of Orlando from preparing tax returns for others. The permanent injunction orders, entered by Judge Gregory A. Presnell of the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida, also bar Fernandez and Burgos, who operated under the name Economy Legal Services, from advising customers concerning federal taxes. The court also ordered the defendants to provide the government their customers names, mailing and e-mail addresses, and telephone and Social Security numbers.
The court found that Fernandez and Burgos prepared tax returns that claimed fraudulent refunds based on fictitious or inflated deductions, including fictitious or inflated business expenses, improper deductions for taxes paid, improper claimed dependents, and other miscellaneous deductions. The court also found that the actions of Fernandez and Bugos, who have prepared thousands of returns since 1999, may have cost the United States Treasury more than $33 million from 1999 through 2002.
People who prepare false or fraudulent tax returns cheat their customers and unfairly shift the tax burden to honest taxpayers, said Eileen J. OConnor, Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Departments Tax Division. People who hire others to prepare their returns should review their returns carefully to make sure that they are true, correct, and complete. More information about this case is available at:
Source: US Department of Justice
