Federal Court Puts End to South Florida Tax Return Preparer
A federal court in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, has permanently barred Danesa Webb from preparing federal tax returns for others, bringing an end to her alleged tax return preparer scam.
According to the court’s order, Webb, who resides in Broward County, prepared returns for her customers that falsely claimed several tax credits and reported false income and expenses. The court found that many of Webb’s customers were homeless and had no income, and that she ‘targeted and victimized unsuspecting distressed individuals with the promise of quick and easy cash.’
The court’s order states that Webb or her agents falsely told individuals that they were eligible for special credits or funds offered by the federal government, prepared tax returns for them with fabricated information and took a sizable portion of the tax refunds as a fee. The court also found that Webb claimed the first-time-homebuyer credit on her customers’ tax returns even though she knew the customers had not bought new homes.
The first-time-homebuyer credit, which was enacted in 2008 to strengthen the real estate market and help the economy, allowed persons who had not owned a home in the previous three years to claim a credit of up to $8,000 against their federal income taxes if they bought a home after April 8, 2008. The credit has since expired.
Webb’s scheme was part of the Internal Revenue Service’s ‘Dirty Dozen’ tax scams that taxpayers are urged to avoid. The Justice Tax Division has obtained hundreds of injunctions to stop the promotion of tax fraud schemes and the preparation of fraudulent returns in the past decade. Information about these cases is available on the Justice Department’s website.
Webb did not contest the government’s allegations, and the court’s order was issued as a result. This ruling serves as a warning to others who may engage in similar scams, and highlights the importance of protecting vulnerable individuals from financial exploitation.
Mandatory Facts:
Defendant: Danesa Webb
Criminal Charges: Preparing federal tax returns with false information
City and State: Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Date: Not specified in the source
Sentence or Outcome: Permanently barred from preparing federal tax returns
Dollar Amounts: Up to $8,000 for the first-time-homebuyer credit
Related Federal Cases
- Benell English, Tax Return Preparer False Filings, Florida 2024 · Florida
- Dianne Mowatt, Tax Return Preparation and Filing Fraud, Florida 2014 · Florida
- Abel Raphael, Tax Fraud, Florida 2023 · Florida
- Dennis G. Sartain, Tax Evasion and Money Laundering, Florida 2008 · Florida
- Peter Zavell, Filing a False Tax Return, South Carolina 2000 · Florida
Key Facts
- State: Federal
- Category: White Collar Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
ðŸâ€Â’ Get the grimiest stories delivered weekly. Subscribe free →
MORE FEDERAL CRIME NEWS
White Collar CrimeWhite Collar CrimeWhite Collar CrimeWhite Collar Crime