Gary Tax Return Preparer Sentenced to Prison and Ordered to Pay Over $1 Million in Restitution

In a shocking case of tax fraud, Dorian L. Hall, 47, of Gary, Indiana, has been sentenced to 39 months in prison for aiding and assisting in the preparation of a false tax return and filing a false tax return. The sentencing took place on today in United States District Court, with Judge Philip P. Simon presiding.

According to court documents, Hall operated a tax return preparation business from 2014-2016, during which time he prepared tax returns for clients in which he fabricated income numbers to maximize the Earned Income Tax Credit and provided false information to obtain a refundable education credit. By falsifying returns in this manner, Hall’s clients received tax refunds from the IRS in excess of what they were entitled to receive.

Hall charged a fee for preparing each return, typically around $1,000. During the 2014-2016 timeframe, Hall filed over 300 fraudulent tax returns, including his own. He received hundreds of thousands of dollars in fees for the returns he filed and he also did not declare that income to the IRS. Hall’s conduct caused a loss to U.S. taxpayers of over $1,000,000.

This case is the latest in a string of tax-related crimes to hit the headlines in recent years. Hall had previously pled guilty to criminal tax charges in November 2015 and was sentenced in April 2016. After learning that he was under investigation by the IRS, he opened 15 new bank accounts to support his tax preparation activities while claiming to have ceased his operations.

After being sent to prison, the IRS uncovered his additional tax preparation activities, resulting in the new charges and the sentence imposed today. This case serves as a stark reminder of the dangers of tax-related crimes and the importance of ensuring that individuals and businesses operate within the law.

The case was investigated by IRS-Criminal Investigation and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexandra McTague. Hall was ordered to pay $1,053,549.95 in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service as part of his sentence.

Dorian L. Hall, a tax return preparer from Gary, Indiana, was sentenced to 39 months in prison for aiding and assisting in the preparation of a false tax return and filing a false tax return. He was also ordered to pay $1,053,549.95 in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service.

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