Marcelino Almaraz, 60, of Holcomb, Kan., has admitted to orchestrating a tax fraud scheme that bled the federal government of hundreds of thousands in false refunds. The Finney County man pleaded guilty Thursday to one count of aiding and assisting in the preparation of a false income tax return and one count of filing a false tax return, according to U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister.
Almaraz, who owned La Popular — a convenience store in Holcomb — also ran Accounting Services, a side business touting tax preparation and accounting. But instead of honest filings, prosecutors say Almaraz built a reputation on generating outsized refunds through deception. Customers came to him, the 2016 indictment stated, because word had spread: he could deliver big checks from the IRS, no questions asked.
His scam didn’t hold. In court, Almaraz confessed to fabricating dependent claims and inflating deductions. One client’s return falsely listed four grandchildren as dependents — children who actually lived with their mother in Mexico. No U.S. residency, no eligibility. Yet Almaraz filed it anyway, pushing a fraudulent claim through the system.
He didn’t stop at his clients. Almaraz also cooked his own books, filing a personal business tax return that drastically underreported income from his ventures. The IRS caught the mismatch. The fraud, once hidden in spreadsheets and W-2s, unraveled under federal scrutiny.
Now, Almaraz is on the hook for more than $397,000 in restitution. Sentencing is scheduled for May 14, where he faces up to three years in federal prison and a fine of up to $250,000 on each count. The dual charges mean he could walk into custody with a potential six-year sentence hanging over him.
The case was spearheaded by the Internal Revenue Service, with support from Assistant U.S. Attorney Jabari Wamble and Justice Department Tax Division attorneys John Mulcahy and Ryan Raybould. U.S. Attorney McAllister praised the team’s work, calling the prosecution a warning to those who turn tax season into a crime spree.
Related Federal Cases
- Kalena Winston Pleads Guilty to $70K Tax Fraud Scheme · Kansas
- Richard Drake Sentenced for $2.4M Tax Fraud Scheme · Kansas
- KC Tax Preparer Hayes Indicted in $1.2M Refund Scam · Kansas
- Olathe Woman Pleads Guilty in $894K Tax Fraud Scheme · Kansas
- Semere Tsehaye Sentenced for $1.03 Million Tax Fraud · Illinois
Key Facts
- State: Kansas
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: Official Source ↗
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