United States Attorney Erica H. MacDonald today announced the sentencing of LESSIE BEATRICE LINDSEY, 37, to one year and one day in prison for falsely claiming $1,151,585 in tax refunds. LINDSEY, who pleaded guilty on June 17, 2019, was sentenced on Oct. 30, 2019, before Senior Judge David S. Doty in U.S. District Court in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
According to the defendant’s guilty pleas and documents filed in court, between January 2013 and March 2016, LINDSEY, who operated in Minneapolis, Minnesota and Chicago, Illinois, charged individual taxpayers a fee to prepare and file their federal income tax returns. LINDSEY routinely falsified information on the federal income tax returns she filed on behalf of her clients, including employment, income, and tax credits, in order to increase the clients’ tax refunds. In total, LINDSEY prepared approximately 192 false and fraudulent personal federal income tax returns which falsely claimed approximately $1,151,585.00 in tax refunds. LINDSEY’s conduct caused the United States Treasury to pay $995,966.00 to LINDSEY’s clients for tax years 2012, 2013, 2074, and 2015.
This case was the result of an investigation conducted by the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation Division.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew S. Ebert prosecuted the case.
Defendant Information:
LESSIE BEATRICE LINDSEY, 37
Minneapolis, Minn.
Convicted:
* False claim to the United States, 1 count
Sentenced:
* One year and one day in prison
* Two years of supervised release
* $ 995,966 in restitution
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
