HOUSTON - Income tax return preparer Simon Makangula has been ordered to prison for willfully aiding and assisting in the preparation of a false income tax return for a client, announced U.S. Attorney Kenneth Magidson along with Lucy Cruz, special agent in charge of Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI). Makangula pleaded guilty Oct. 15, 2014.
Today, U.S. District Judge Gray H. Miller sentenced ordered Makanagula to serve 18 months in federal prison and must pay $51,645.00 in restitution to the IRS.
Makangula was convicted of assisting in the preparation of one false U.S. Individual Income Tax Return. According to the plea agreement filed in the record of the case, Makangula admitted that the return contained two false dependents, a false refundable education credit, a false earned income credit and a false Schedule C loss from a sole proprietorship that the taxpayer did not have. Makangula admitted that the tax loss on the return in question was approximately $9,731.
This matter was investigated by IRS-CI and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles J. Escher.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
