Texas Tax Return Preparer Sentenced To Prison For Tax And Identity Theft Crimes

A former Killeen, Texas resident was sentenced to 42 months in prison today for aiding and assisting in the preparation and filing of a false tax return and aggravated identity theft, announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division.

According to court documents, Shermin Marshall devised a scheme to file false federal income tax returns on behalf of his clients.  Marshall falsified specific items on his clients’ tax returns in order to fraudulently increase their tax refunds.  Marshall directed clients’ refunds to be deposited into financial accounts that he controlled and, unbeknownst to his clients, Marshall stole a portion of those refunds.  To facilitate the diversion of the stolen funds, Marshall opened financial accounts in his clients’ names, without their permission.

In addition to the term of imprisonment, U.S. District Court Judge Lee Yeakel ordered Marshall to serve three years of supervised release and to pay $397,367 in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service.

Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Zuckerman commended special agents of IRS Criminal Investigation, who conducted the investigation, and Trial Attorneys Robert A. Kemins and David Zisserson, who are prosecuting the case and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas (Waco Division) for their substantial assistance.

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