A Houston-area tax return preparer and her business are accused of overcharging clients over $4.8 million in tax refunds, according to a federal complaint filed in the Southern District of Texas.
Crystal Ojeda, owner of Money Market Tax Company LLC, as well as two sole proprietorships, Money Market Financial Services and Money Market Financial, allegedly prepared over 10,000 federal income tax returns between 2018 and 2023.
The complaint alleges that Ojeda significantly overstated her customers’ tax refund amounts by fabricating or inflating business losses, medical and dental expenses, and charitable contributions.
For some customers’ returns, Ojeda falsely claimed residential energy credits to which her customers were not entitled, reducing their taxable income and leading to inflated refunds.
By repeatedly understating her customers’ tax liabilities, the complaint alleges that Ojeda has caused the United States harm of an estimated $4.8 million in tax revenue just from the years 2020 to 2022, and millions more from earlier years.
Taxpayers seeking a return preparer should remain vigilant against unscrupulous tax preparers. The IRS has information on its website for choosing a tax return preparer and has launched a free directory of federal tax preparers.
Defendant: Crystal Ojeda
Criminal Charges: Preparing federal income tax returns for others with the intent to evade taxes
City and State: Houston, Texas
Exact Date: Not specified
Sentence or Outcome: The case is ongoing
Dollar Amounts: Over $4.8 million in tax revenue lost
Related Federal Cases
Key Facts
- State: Texas
- Category: White Collar Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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