Cleveland Heights man indicted for preparing false tax returns

A Cleveland Heights man was indicted for preparing false tax returns and making false statements to law enforcement, said Acting U.S. Attorney Carole S. Rendon and Kathy Enstrom, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation’s Cincinnati office.

Immanuel Roddy, 34, operated a tax preparation called Roddy Solutions. He referred to himself in advertising materials as “Tax Beast” and obtained tax documents from clients, according to the indictment.

Roddy prepared false tax returns for his clients in which he claimed false tax credits or false business expenses, according to the indictment.

“Mr. Roddy owned a tax preparation business that blatantly ignored the tax laws by preparing false tax returns,” Enstrom said. “Dishonest return preparers use a variety of methods to cheat the government, including falsifying information on the tax returns to generate larger refunds for their clients.”

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Antoinette Bacon following an investigation by IRS-CI.

If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the court after a review of the federal sentencing guidelines and factors unique to the case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record (if any), the defendant’s role in the offense, and the characteristics of the violation.

An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.