HOUSTON - A tax return preparer who operated a local business under various names has been convicted of willfully aiding and assisting in the preparation and presentation of a false U.S. Individual Income Tax Return, announced acting U.S. Attorney Abe Martinez.
According to the criminal information and plea agreement filed in the record of the case, Albert Bobby Daniels Jr. was in the business of preparing income tax returns and operated that business under various names including Home Based Business Tax Services in Houston. Daniels admitted he willfully placed numerous false items on his clients’ income tax returns in an attempt to generate excessive refunds.
The tax return Daniels prepared that served as the factual basis of today’s plea resulted in a tax loss to the United States of $7,263. As part of the plea, Daniels admitted that the total loss to the National Treasury was at least $257,590 for the approximate 45 fraudulent tax returns he prepared. Daniels has agreed to make full restitution to the IRS.
U.S. District Judge Alfred H. Bennett, who accepted the guilty plea, has set sentencing for Oct. 12, 2017. At that time, Daniels faces up to three years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 fine.
The Austin office of IRS - Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jimmy Sledge Jr. is prosecuting the case.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
