Tucson Tax Preparer Sentenced to 21 Months in Prison for Submitting 90 Returns Seeking Over $651,000 in False Credits

     TUCSON, Ariz. – Today, Jose Jesus Gonzalez, 48, of Tucson, Ariz., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge James A. Soto to 21 months of imprisonment.  Gonzalez previously had pleaded guilty to willfully filing a false individual income tax return.  He was ordered to pay over $255,000 in restitution and separately was ordered to pay a $17,488 fine.

      Gonzalez doing business as Gonzalez Insurance and Tax Services, operated offices in Tucson from 2004 through 2009 and in Phoenix from 2009 through 2010. During the 2008 tax year, Gonzalez e-filed 90 income tax returns seeking a total of $651,500 in false claims for the First Time Home Buyer Credit. The Internal Revenue Service disallowed a portion of the claims but paid $620,000 in false claims to taxpayers which the IRS is attempting to recover. 

      The investigation in this case was conducted by the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation. The prosecution was handled by Sandra M. Hansen, Assistant U.S. Attorney, District of Arizona, Tucson.

CASE NUMBER:           CR-13-00575                  

RELEASE NUMBER:   2016-028_Gonzalez

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