Local Woman Arrested For Tax Refund Fraud

HOUSTON – Nicole Dette Perkins has been arrested on charges of making false claims for tax refunds in returns she prepared for other taxpayers and for falsifying her own tax returns, announced U.S. Attorney Kenneth Magidson along with Lucy Cruz, special agent in charge of Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI). 

A federal grand jury returned the sealed 14-count indictment on Dec. 16, 2014. It was unsealed today upon her arrest. Perkins is expected made her initial appearance today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Stephen Smith at 2:00 p.m.  

According to the indictment, Perkins prepared and filed tax returns on behalf of other tax payers for the 2009 tax year that claimed false refund amounts. The indictment further alleges she falsified her own tax returns for the years 2008 and 2009 by reporting false tax withholdings on fabricated W-2 Forms. 

If convicted, Perkins faces up to five years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 fine for each of the 12 counts of making false claims for tax refunds. For each of the two counts of falsifying her own tax returns, she faces up to three years in prison and up to a $250,000 fine.  

IRS-CI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen L. Corso is prosecuting. 

A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.