Two tax preparers, one from Louisville, Kentucky, and one from Jasper, Indiana, were sentenced to federal prison for a multi-million-dollar tax fraud scheme.
Angel De La Rosa, 41, of Jasper, was sentenced to four years, followed by two years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $15,005,149.83 in restitution.
Yaimy Real, 34, of Louisville, was sentenced to three years, followed by two years of supervised release. She was also ordered to pay $ 15,019,543.84 in restitution.
Both De La Rosa and Real pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, aiding and assisting in the preparation and presentation of a false and fraudulent tax return and filing false tax returns.
Court documents showed De La Rosa and Real operated a tax return preparation business, “De La Rosa Multiservices,” in both Jasper, Indiana, and Louisville, Kentucky.
From January 2018 through July 2021, they prepared approximately 5,892 fraudulent federal tax returns for tax years 2017 through 2020. Their conduct caused an estimated $10,577,612 in tax loss to the Internal Revenue Service.
Part of the scheme involved filing returns that falsely claimed the American Opportunity Tax Credit (AOTC). They also claimed tax payers were enrolled in school when they were not. By fabricating tuition and education‑related expenses, the defendants generated inflated refunds for clients who were not entitled to receive them.
When the IRS began scrutinizing their clients’ returns, the defendants attempted to conceal their fraud by creating and submitting false records, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. These fabricated documents included enrollment verification letters and receipts designed to make it appear that their clients qualified for the American Opportunity Tax Credit.
De La Rosa and Real also prepared returns that falsely claimed self-employment losses on Schedule C and inflated itemized deductions on Schedule A.
When preparing returns for their clients, the defendants acted as ‘ghost’ return preparers. Federal law requires paid tax return preparers to sign the returns they prepare and include a valid Preparer Tax Identification Number. De La Rosa and Real failed to identify themselves as the preparers, which allowed the returns to be filed without disclosing their involvement.
Through the scheme, the defendants collected approximately $736,500 in fees from their clients.
De La Rosa also filed false personal tax returns for tax years 2017 through 2020, causing a tax loss of approximately $6,374. Real filed false personal returns for tax years 2017 and 2018, resulting in a tax loss of approximately $4,000.
Source: WHAS11
You must be logged in to post a comment.