Ernest Ray Lewis, Tax Fraud, Florida 2016

Crime: Tax Preparer Charged in 21-Count Tax Fraud Indictment

Jacksonville, Florida – A tax return preparer has been charged with 21 counts of tax fraud, including 17 counts of aiding and assisting in the filing of false tax returns and 4 counts of failing to file a tax return. Ernest Ray Lewis, the tax preparer, is accused of falsifying information on customers’ income tax returns, claiming false business losses and dependent exemptions, resulting in decreased tax owed and increased refunds.

According to the indictment, Lewis worked at a tax return preparation business in Jacksonville. The indictment alleges that Lewis knowingly reported false information on customers’ income tax returns, including false claims for business losses and dependent exemptions, which decreased the amount of money owed by the customers to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and increased the amount of tax refunds received by the customers from the IRS.

The indictment specifically alleges that Lewis filed 17 false returns on behalf of 10 taxpayers for the years 2012 through 2015. In addition, Lewis was required to file a tax return reporting his own income for each of the years, but failed to do so.

The owner of the tax return preparation business, Elizabeth M. Jordan, and her daughter, Dolores A. Youmans, were also indicted on June 30, 2016, with conspiracy to defraud the IRS and aiding and assisting others with the filing of false tax returns. Their cases remain pending.

An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has violated one or more of the federal criminal laws, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.

This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Arnold B. Corsmeier.

Defendant: Ernest Ray Lewis

Criminal Charges: 17 counts of aiding and assisting in the filing of false tax returns, and 4 counts of failing to file a tax return

City and State: Jacksonville, Florida

Date: June 30, 2016

Sentence: Maximum penalty of 3 years’ imprisonment per aiding and assisting offense, and up to 1 year in prison per failing to file a tax return offense

Dollar Amounts: None specified