El Paso Businesswoman Sentenced in False Tax Return Case

In El Paso today, 44 year-old Blanca Arcelia Ramos Estrada, owner of Blanca and Sons Tax Service in El Paso, appeared before United States District Judge Kathleen Cardone and was sentenced to one year and a day in federal prison followed by 1 year of supervised release, ordered to pay $140,000 in restitution and ordered to perform 100 hours of unpaid community service for preparing a false tax return, announced United States Attorney Richard L. Durbin, Jr., and Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Special Agent in Charge William Cotter.

On June 22, 2015, Estrada 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.  

IRS Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge William Cotter said, “Taxpayers should choose carefully when hiring a tax preparer to avoid unscrupulous preparers, such as Ms. Ramos, who file false and fraudulent returns to defraud the government and their own clients. Our Special Agents use their investigative and financial expertise to detect and hold accountable abusive preparers who falsely tell taxpayers they are eligible for tax credits that they are not entitled to receive. Taxpayers should always insist on reviewing their return before signing it, and question any items they do not fully understand. Today’s sentence is a firm reminder that all tax professionals have to respect the law and protect the interests of their clients and the taxpaying public.”

This case was investigated by the IRS-CI.  Assistant United States Attorneys Steven R. Spitzer and William R. Harris prosecuted this case on behalf of the Government.