Tax Preparer Admits to Filing Fake Returns for $168K Gain

The owner of a tax preparation company pled guilty in federal court Wednesday to willfully preparing false tax returns for clients, according to a statement from the Internal Revenue Service's Criminal Investigation Field Office in Newark. 

Jean Desrosiers, 56, entered a guilty plea to charges of aiding and assisting in the preparation of false tax returns. 

Court documents say Desrosier was the sole owner of Jean Multiple Services, a tax preparation company that over time has operated at various Essex County locations, including West Orange, Newark and Maplewood. 

The IRS found that between the tax years 2007 through 2011, Desrosiers prepared fraudulent tax returns for some of his clients by fabricating and inflating itemized Schedule A deductions on their returns in order to obtain bigger tax refunds for them.

The federal agency also found that in some cases, Desrosiers gave clients one version of a fake tax return calling for a certain refund from the government and then filed a different version—that called for an even larger refund amount—with the IRS. All told, the IRS Criminal Investigation unit said Desrosiers cost the government approximately $168,424 in lost taxes. 

The charge of aiding and assisting in the preparation of a false tax return carries a statutory maximum prison sentence of three years and a statutory maximum fine equal to the greatest of $250,000; twice the gross amount of any profit from the offense; or twice the gross amount of any loss suffered by victims.

Sentencing is scheduled to take place Oct. 2.

“While most return preparers provide excellent service to their clients, a few dishonest tax preparers file false and fraudulent returns to defraud the government, the taxpaying public and their own clients,” said Special Agent in Charge Shantelle P. Kitchen, who led the investigation. “The taxpaying public can be assured that IRS-Criminal Investigation will continue to vigilantly identify and investigate fraudulent preparers like Mr. Desrosiers.”