Sean P. Costello U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Alabama
Carrie Mae Jones of Mobile, Alabama, has been sentenced to two years in federal prison after being found guilty of filing fraudulent tax returns. According to court documents, Jones operated Agee’s Outreach Tax Service and Royalty Queen Tax Service in Mobile. She acted as a “ghost preparer” for at least 34 false or fraudulent tax returns between 2019 and 2022.
Judge Terry F. Moorer handed down the sentence, which also includes an order for Jones to pay $419,452 in restitution. After completing her prison term, she will be required to serve one year of supervised release.
Demetrius Hardeman, Special Agent in Charge at IRS Criminal Investigation’s Atlanta Field Office, commented on the case: “Carrie Jones represents many of the unethical tax preparers we advise filers to avoid by doing research on the business before using their services. Not signing tax returns is just one of several indicators that someone is dealing with a ghost preparer. The sentencing of Jones sends a message that unethical return preparers will be held accountable for their criminal activity.”
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama. The investigation was conducted by IRS Criminal Investigations and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kasee Heisterhagen.
