HOUSTON - A local tax return preparer has entered a guilty plea to willfully aiding and assisting in the preparation of a false tax return for one of his clients, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Abe Martinez.
In the plea agreement filed in the record of the case, Ryan Damont Akers admitted he prepared income tax returns for clients and that he opened his own tax preparation business in Houston named Capital Income Tax. Akers willfully placed several false items on the tax return, including false losses from a sole proprietorship, a false net long term capital loss, false amounts of gifts to charity and false unreimbursed employee expenses. Akers further admitted he claimed a false income tax refund on the tax return that resulted in an intended tax harm to the IRS of approximately $16,695.
According to the plea agreement, Akers prepared a total of 32 false income tax returns for clients with a total intended tax loss of more than $134,000. Akers also prepared a false 2014 U.S. Individual Income Tax Return for an undercover IRS agent posing as a taxpayer, claiming a false income tax refund of more than $4,000 when the tax return should have reflected an amount due of $530.
U.S. District Judge Vanessa Gilmore accepted the plea and has set sentencing for Nov. 20, 2017. At that time, Akers faces up to three years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine. He was permitted to remain on bond pending that hearing.
IRS - Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles J. Escher is prosecuting the case.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
