James Lowe, 53, of Granby, Mass., is headed to prison after pleading guilty to filing false corporate and personal income tax returns over a three-year span, cheating the IRS out of more than $118,000. The accountant was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Worcester, where he received four months behind bars and one year of supervised release, with the first three months of that time to be served in home detention.
Lowe, who owned an accounting and tax preparation business in Chicopee, admitted in June 2016 to three counts of filing false corporate tax returns and three counts of filing false personal income tax returns from 2011 to 2013. Instead of reporting all income generated by his firm, he kept a shadow stream of revenue off the books—by cashing checks and funneling others directly into his personal bank account, bypassing his business accounts entirely.
The scheme was simple but effective—at least until the IRS caught up. By omitting these transactions from his filings, Lowe systematically under-reported his income year after year. The loss to federal coffers? Over $118,000—a figure that could’ve funded community services, law enforcement operations, or public infrastructure.
U.S. District Court Judge Timothy S. Hillman handed down the sentence, emphasizing that professionals entrusted with financial integrity bear a higher responsibility. When they abuse that trust, the consequences must be felt. Home detention, prison time, and a year of supervision send a message: no one is invisible to the IRS, especially those who claim to know the rules best.
The case was brought by United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz and Joel P. Garland, Special Agent in Charge of the IRS Criminal Investigation unit in Boston. Prosecution was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alex Grant, whose office has made tax fraud a priority in recent years, particularly when committed by those in positions of financial authority.
Lowe’s fall from licensed accountant to convicted felon underscores a familiar grim truth in white-collar crime: the same skills used to balance books can be twisted to break the law. Now, he’ll have months to reflect on that balance—one he clearly miscalculated.
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Key Facts
- State: Massachusetts
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: Official Source ↗
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