St. Louis, MO - The owner and operator of Discount Tax Service was indicted for allegedly filing false tax returns. The indictment alleges that Christopher Mickles prepared over seven hundred and fifty federal income tax returns on behalf of his clients for tax years 2008 through 2011. Many of those returns contained falsely claimed fraudulent items and credits, such as household help income and earned income tax credits.
CHRISTOPHER MICKLES, St. Louis, MO, was charged with four felony counts of aiding and abetting in the preparation of false tax returns. He is expected to appear in federal court later today.
If convicted, each count carries a maximum penalty of three years in prison and/or fines up to $100,000. In determining the actual sentences, a Judge is required to consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, which provide recommended sentencing ranges.
This case was investigated by IRS Criminal Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Dianna Collins is handling the case for the U.S. Attorney's Office.
As is always the case, charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
