Jose Jesus Gonzalez, Tax Fraud, Arizona 2016

A Tucson tax preparer has been sentenced to 21 months in prison for submitting 90 tax returns seeking over $651,000 in false credits.

Tucson, Ariz. - Jose Jesus Gonzalez, 48, of Tucson, Ariz., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge James A. Soto to 21 months of imprisonment on February 29, 2016. Gonzalez previously had pleaded guilty to willfully filing a false individual income tax return.

Gonzalez, doing business as Gonzalez Insurance and Tax Services, operated offices in Tucson from 2004 through 2009 and in Phoenix from 2009 through 2010. During the 2008 tax year, Gonzalez e-filed 90 income tax returns seeking a total of $651,500 in false claims for the First Time Home Buyer Credit. The Internal Revenue Service disallowed a portion of the claims but paid $620,000 in false claims to taxpayers which the IRS is attempting to recover.

The investigation in this case was conducted by the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation. The prosecution was handled by Sandra M. Hansen, Assistant U.S. Attorney, District of Arizona, Tucson.

Gonzalez was ordered to pay over $255,000 in restitution and separately was ordered to pay a $17,488 fine.

The defendant's operation of a tax preparation business in Tucson and Phoenix has led to this sentence, which aims to hold individuals accountable for their actions in filing false tax returns.

The U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Arizona, will continue to work with the IRS to prevent and prosecute tax-related crimes in Arizona.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-az/pr/tucson-tax-preparer-sentenced-21-months-prison-submitting-90-returns-seeking-over-651000