Laurie Helfer, 57, of Hillside, Illinois, has admitted to orchestrating a brazen tax fraud scheme that flooded the IRS with more than 160 phony returns in a calculated bid to steal over half a million dollars. The self-styled tax pro didn’t just bend the rules—she shredded them, using her position of trust to file false claims for clients who never earned the refunds she demanded from the government.
Helfer pleaded guilty Tuesday to two counts of willfully aiding and assisting in the preparation of fraudulent tax returns, each carrying a maximum sentence of three years in federal prison. U.S. District Judge Virginia M. Kendall scheduled sentencing for August 22, 2019. The plea marks the collapse of a years-long scam that exploited the very system meant to ensure fairness in tax collection.
Operating under the names Laurie’s Freelance & Tax Preparation Services and The Tax Lady Laurie Inc., Helfer ran her operations out of Chicago’s western suburbs, where she built a reputation as a go-to filer for working families. But behind the scenes, she weaponized that trust—falsifying employment records, inflating education credits, and inventing nonexistent child care expenses to inflate refunds.
According to the written plea agreement, Helfer filed approximately 162 false returns between 2007 and 2010. Every return contained material lies designed to trigger IRS payouts. While the actual tax loss to the federal government stands at $54,797, the full scope of the damage could have reached as high as $1.5 million—the total value of the fraudulent refunds she attempted to claim.
The case was brought by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Gabriel L. Grchan, Special Agent-in-Charge of the IRS Criminal Investigation Division in Chicago. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carol Bell is prosecuting the case, underscoring the federal crackdown on tax fraud that bleeds public coffers.
Helfer now faces prison time for betraying both her clients and the tax system. Her plea is a stark reminder: even white-collar crime leaves blood on the floor—just not where most people see it.
RELATED: Tax Preparer Helfer Charged with $1M Fraudulent Refunds
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Key Facts
- State: Illinois
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: Official Source ↗
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