Dallas Tax Preparer Charged with Wire Fraud

BEAUMONT, Texas – A Dallas tax preparer has been indicted for federal violations in the Eastern District of Texas, according to U.S. Attorney John M. Bales.

Shannon Tecoko Mays, 36, from Dallas, faces charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud by a federal grand jury.

The scheme, which began in August 2012, targeted individuals who were exempt from filing income tax returns. Mays operated under the names “Syam Tax Services, L.L.C.” and “Baby Momma Tax,” with offices across the U.S., including Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, New Orleans, Memphis, Atlanta, Chicago, and Los Angeles.

According to prosecutors, Mays employed recruiters for a fee of $50-100 per client. He altered taxpayers’ addresses and phone numbers on returns to avoid detection and used electronic deposits to prevent paper checks from reaching the taxpayers.

In 2011 alone, Mays filed 4,226 tax returns claiming nearly $3.2 million. If convicted, Mays could face up to 20 years in federal prison.

This case is being investigated by multiple agencies including the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, FBI, Port Arthur Police Department, Texas Attorney General’s Office – Consumer Protection Division, and the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorney Baylor Wortham is prosecuting the case.

It is important to note that a grand jury indictment is not evidence of guilt.