AUGUSTA, GA - CARLOS NEWTON, 44, of Waynesboro, Georgia was sentenced last week by United States District Court Judge Dudley H. Bowen, Jr. to 2 years in prison for his role in the preparation of numerous fraudulent federal tax returns.
According to evidence presented during his guilty plea and sentencing hearings, Newton worked as a tax preparer from 2009 through 2011. During this time, Newton placed fictitious businesses, fictitious income, and fictitious expenses on federal income tax forms, which fraudulently qualified some of his clients for refunds through the earned income tax credit. For his services, Newton requested additional fees from his clients. He referred to those fees as “love offerings." Newton prepared 22 fraudulent federal tax returns between January 2009 and January 2011. The federal government paid out almost $90,000 in refunds based upon these bogus returns.
United States Attorney Edward Tarver said, “As we prepare to enter tax season, cases like this one demonstrate the substantial risks to the return preparer for filing false returns. The United States Attorney’s Office will continue our efforts to protect the integrity of the IRS Return Preparer Program and to apprehend those responsible for stealing the hard-earned money of honest taxpayers."
Special Agent Roger Garland of IRS-Criminal Investigations investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Lamont A. Belk prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States. For additional information, please contact First Assistant United States Attorney James D. Durham at (912) 201-2547.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
