North Carolina Tax Return Preparer Sentenced To Prison

WASHINGTON – A Durham, North Carolina, tax return preparer was sentenced today to 12 months and one day in prison for aiding in the preparation of false tax returns, announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Caroline D. Ciraolo, head of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Ripley Rand for the Middle District of North Carolina.

According to documents filed with the court, Reyna Nembiu Montes, operated “Su Manu Amiga,” a tax return preparation business in Durham.  Montes admitted that she prepared multiple false individual income tax returns for clients, claiming false dependents in order to generate fraudulent refunds.  She further admitted that she failed to disclose the existence of her tax return preparation business on her personal income tax returns.

Montes pleaded guilty on June 26.  In addition to serving her prison sentence, Montes was ordered to serve one year of supervised release and to pay restitution in the amount of $115,287 to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

Principal Assistant Attorney General Ciraolo and U.S. Attorney Rand commended special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, who conducted the investigation and Assistant U.S. Attorney Anand Ramaswamy and Trial Attorney Nathan Brooks of the Tax Division, who prosecuted the case.

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

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