El Paso Businesswoman Pleads Guilty to Preparing False Tax Return

In El Paso yesterday, 43-year-old Blanca Arcelia Ramos Estrada, owner of Blanca and Sons Tax Service in El Paso, pleaded guilty to preparing a false tax return announced Acting United States Attorney Richard L. Durbin, Jr., and Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Special Agent in Charge William Cotter.

Appearing before United States Magistrate Judge Miguel A. Torres, Ramos pleaded guilty to one count of aiding and assisting in the preparation of a false tax return.  By pleading guilty, Ramos admitted she fraudulently inflated income amounts for her clients in order to maximize their refunds under the Earned Income (EIC) Provisions of the tax code. The IRS investigation determined that Ramos aided and assisted in the preparation and filing of a number of similar false tax returns with combined losses of approximately $140,000. 

By pleading guilty, Ramos faces three years of imprisonment, a fine not to exceed $250,000, and a term of supervised release of not more than one year.  No sentencing date has been scheduled.

This case was investigated by the IRS-CI.  Assistant United States Attorney Steven Spitzer is prosecuting this case on behalf of the Government.

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