As tax season gets underway, the U.S. District Attorney’s office is reminding taxpayers to avoid problems by dealing only with reputable tax filing services.
A Rocky Mount tax return preparer was sentenced to 50 months in prison Monday for conspiring to defraud the United States. Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Robert J. Higdon Jr. for the Eastern District of North Carolina announced the sentencing Monday.
According to court documents, between 2009 and 2017, Adrienne Williams owned and operated Ultimate Tax Service, a return preparation business, which had an office in Rocky Mount.
During that time period, Williams and at least two of her employees at Ultimate Tax Service prepared false tax returns for clients. The returns claimed fraudulent refunds by including, among other false statements, bogus federal income tax withholdings. In all, Williams and her co-conspirators sought to defraud the IRS of more than $3.5 million.
In addition to the term of imprisonment, U.S. District Court Judge Terrence W. Boyle ordered Williams to serve three years of supervised release and pay $4,830,723 in restitution to the IRS.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney Goldberg and U.S. Attorney Higdon commended special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, who conducted the investigation, and Trial Attorney Michael L. Jones of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Susan B. Menzer, who are prosecuting the case.
