Las Vegas Man Indicted for Falsifying Auto Collision Centers’ Tax Returns

A federal grand jury in Las Vegas, Nevada, returned a superseding indictment today charging a Las Vegas man with conspiracy to defraud the IRS, announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division, U.S. Attorney Nicholas A. Trutanich for the District of Nevada, and Special Agent in Charge Tara Sullivan for the IRS-Criminal Investigation.

According to the superseding indictment, Lance K. Bradford conspired with others to prepare tax returns on behalf of several automotive collision centers falsely claiming that the centers and their owners incurred millions in deductible expenses. From 2013 through 2015, these false returns allegedly claimed more than $11 million in false deductions, resulting in significant underreporting of business income and taxes due to the IRS.

Bradford was previously charged with aiding and assisting in the filing of false individual, corporate, and partnership returns on behalf of other individuals and businesses.

If convicted, Bradford faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison for the conspiracy charge and three years in prison for each of the 29 counts of aiding and assisting the filing of a false tax return. Bradford also faces a period of supervised release, restitution, and monetary penalties.

An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Zuckerman and U.S. Attorney Trutanich commended special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, who conducted the investigation, and Trial Attorney Patrick Burns of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Steve Myhre, who are prosecuting the case.

Additional information about the Tax Division and its enforcement efforts may be found on the division’s website.