Lynn Tax Preparer Sentenced To Federal Prison For Identity Theft And Tax Fraud

BOSTON – A Lynn man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Boston for identity theft and tax fraud committed while operating a tax return preparation business.

Roosevelt Fernandez, 33, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Douglas P. Woodlock to 42 months in prison, and ordered to pay $116,679 in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service. On Jan. 16, 2013, Fernandez pleaded guilty to a 13-count superseding information charging him with aiding and assisting in the preparation of false income tax returns and identity theft.

Fernandez held himself out as an experienced tax return preparer operating a business called H&T Multi Services in Lynn, Mass. On numerous occasions, Fernandez inserted false and fabricated information into his clients’ income tax returns. This information included wholly fictitious and fraudulently inflated claims relating to deductions and credits. In addition, Fernandez omitted the names and personal identifying information of dependent children from their actual parents’ income tax returns, and then charged other clients $500 or more to add those dependents to their income tax returns in order to generate larger tax refunds.

United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz, Assistant Attorney General Kathryn Keneally of the Department of Justice Tax Division, and Acting Special Agent in Charge John Collins of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation in Boston, made the announcement today. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lori Holik of Ortiz’s Economic Crimes Unit and Trial Attorney Sean R. Delaney of the Tax Division.