Sharhonda Law, a 39-year-old tax preparer from Haughton, Louisiana, has been sentenced to 20 months in federal prison for tax fraud. The sentencing was announced by Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook and delivered by United States District Judge S. Maurice Hicks, Jr. In addition to her prison term, Law will face one year of supervised release and is required to pay $123,455 in restitution.
Law owned and operated Law’s Tax Service in Shreveport as the sole tax return preparer. She prepared a client's 2019 tax return that included a fraudulent Schedule F, which falsely claimed farming income and expenses resulting in a net loss. This manipulation led to an incorrect refund claim when the client actually owed taxes.
The investigation revealed that the client had no farm and did not provide any farming-related information to Law. Despite this, Law submitted false details on their behalf. She pleaded guilty on November 20, 2024, to aiding and assisting in making a false return.
Further examination showed similar fraudulent activities on six other client returns prepared by Law. Additionally, she falsified her own income on two personal returns and neglected to file returns for certain years. The total criminal tax loss amounted to $123,455.
The case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation unit and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robin S. McCoy.
