A Florida jury has delivered a guilty verdict against Frances Carlson, a former Jackson Hewitt tax preparer from Bradenton, Florida, for preparing 27 federal tax returns that understated her customers’ tax liabilities.
The eight-member jury, which deliberated for eight days, found Carlson liable for penalties totaling $135,000, plus interest, in a verdict announced by the Justice Department on [date].
The jury answered 36 separate questions in favor of the government in reaching the verdict, which was handed down in Tampa, Florida, before Judge Susan Bucklew of the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida.
According to evidence presented at the trial, Carlson worked at JH Accounting, a Sarasota, Florida, accounting firm controlled by Daniel Prewett, who was previously convicted by a federal jury on charges related to cocaine distribution and money laundering in 2008.
Prewett was sentenced to 18 years in prison and was also permanently barred from preparing federal tax returns for others, along with Carlson, in 2009 by a federal court in Tampa.
The evidence showed that Prewett controlled a Sarasota franchise of Jackson Hewitt Tax Service Inc. where Carlson worked as a tax preparer.
The Justice Department’s Tax Division has been actively pursuing unscrupulous tax-return preparers and tax-fraud promoters, and more information on their enforcement efforts can be found on the Justice Department’s website.
The case against Carlson serves as a reminder of the importance of honesty and accuracy when it comes to tax preparation, and the consequences of violating these principles.
Frances Carlson, the defendant, must pay penalties totaling $135,000, plus interest.
Defendant: Frances Carlson
Crime: Preparing false tax returns
City and State: Bradenton, Florida
Date of Crime: Not specified
Outcome: Liable for $135,000 in penalties
Dollar Amount: $135,000
Related Federal Cases
- Denver Nichols, Filing False Tax Returns, Missouri 2007 · Florida
- Benell English, Tax Return Preparer False Filings, Florida 2024 · 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: Florida
- Category: White Collar Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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