ATLANTA - Roberta L. Allen has been sentenced for filing false tax returns that claimed over $600,000 in fraudulent refunds.
"The millions of honest, hard-working taxpayers who prepare and file their tax returns should be assured that those who evade their civic duty or try to 'game the system' will be investigated by the IRS and, where appropriate, criminally prosecuted," said United States Attorney Sally Quillian Yates.
“IRS does not endorse or recommend tax preparers but we do offer guidelines to help the public choose a reliable tax professional," stated IRS Criminal Investigation, Special Agent in Charge, Veronica F. Hyman-Pillot, “these guidelines are available on the IRS website (irs.gov). Taxpayers should choose carefully when hiring a tax preparer. As the old saying goes, ‘If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is’."
According to United States Attorney Yates, the charges and other information presented in court: Allen prepared fraudulent federal income tax returns at a tax preparation business named Refund Now Tax Services from 2009 through 2010. On the tax returns, Allen claimed fictitious capital losses and taxes paid which resulted in her clients receiving fraudulent tax credits. Allen also charged her clients exorbitant fees for preparing the returns. In total, Allen's preparation of false income tax returns resulted in over $600,000 in tax losses to the Department of the Treasury.
Allen, 49, of Lawrenceville, Ga., was sentenced to two years, nine months in prison to be followed by one year of supervised release, 100 hours of community service, and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $641,421. Allen was convicted on these charges on October 8, 2013 after she pleaded guilty.
This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation.
Assistant United States Attorney Bernita B. Malloy prosecuted the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the home page for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao/gan/.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
