Latham Man Sentenced for Preparing False Tax Returns

ALBANY, NEW YORK – Gnoan Pierre Kablan, age 53, of Latham, New York, was sentenced today to serve weekends in jail for 3 months, and to serve 3 years of probation, for aiding and assisting in the preparation of false tax returns.

The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Richard S. Hartunian and Shantelle P. Kitchen, Special Agent in Charge of IRS-Criminal Investigation’s New York Field Office. 

U.S. District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino also ordered Kablan to pay $12,971 in restitution to the IRS, to pay a $1,600 assessment to the Court, and to perform 50 hours of community service.  With Kablan’s consent, Judge D’Agostino also permanently enjoined him from preparing and filing federal tax returns and forms for anyone other than himself or his spouse.

As part of his January 22, 2016 guilty plea, Kablan admitted that he prepared 16 tax returns that contained false information.  These returns, which Kablan prepared for clients for the tax years 2008 through 2011, contained false deductions for charitable gifts, false deductions for unreimbursed employee expenses, and false solar property and energy efficiency credits.  These false deductions and credits gave refunds to his taxpayer clients that they were not entitled to.  At sentencing, Kablan admitted to preparing for clients an additional 31 tax returns that contained the same types of false deductions and credits as the tax returns for which he was indicted.

This case was investigated by the New York Field Office of the IRS-Criminal Investigation, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Barnett.