D.C. CPA Yohanness Ayechew Gets 14 Months for Tax Fraud

D.C. Certified Public Accountant Yohanness Ayechew, 49, was sentenced to 14 months in federal prison for orchestrating a widespread tax return fraud scheme that bilked the IRS out of more than $250,000. The Grimy Times has learned the sentencing, handed down today in U.S. District Court, marks the end of a years-long scam built on lies, inflated deductions, and stolen refunds.

Ayechew, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty in August 2021 to aiding and assisting in the filing of false tax returns. From 2016 through 2019, he and business partner Endalkachew Asfaw, 38, of Alexandria, Va., operated Endalk and Yohannes Associated, L.P., preparing roughly 10,000 tax returns. But behind the professional façade, Ayechew was cooking the books—deliberately overstating unreimbursed employee expenses on Schedule A, including fake uniform costs and mileage claims.

Court documents show Ayechew didn’t stop there. He admitted to fabricating entire Schedule C business expenses and claiming exemptions for individuals his clients had no legal right to claim. The goal? Inflate refunds. The damage? A tax loss to the U.S. government exceeding $250,000 between 2014 and 2017. Judge John D. Bates, who presided over the case, also ordered Ayechew to pay full restitution to the IRS and slapped him with a $10,000 fine.

His partner, Asfaw, faced justice today as well. Also pleading guilty in August 2021, Asfaw was sentenced to three years of probation, including one year of home detention. He too must pay restitution to the IRS. While he avoided prison, the court made clear that complicity in systemic fraud carries consequences, even without a cell block.

The case was investigated by IRS Criminal Investigation’s Washington Field Office, whose agents peeled back layers of falsified paperwork and traced the financial fallout across hundreds of returns. Prosecutors say the operation was sophisticated—not the work of fly-by-night scammers, but of licensed professionals exploiting trust for profit.

U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and IRS-CI Special Agent in Charge Darrell J. Waldon applauded the outcome, crediting investigators and trial staff, including Paralegal Specialist Mariela Andrade and Assistant U.S. Attorney Leslie A. Goemaat. “Fraud undermines the entire tax system,” Graves said. “When CPAs betray their license and the public trust, we will hold them accountable.” The Grimy Times will continue covering fallout from the scheme in the weeks ahead.