HOUSTON, TX – In a brazen scheme to line her pockets, Houston resident Nicole Dette Perkins has pleaded guilty to tax refund forgery, a crime that cheated the US government out of nearly $350,000.
According to court documents, Perkins prepared income tax returns for unsuspecting clients, attaching fabricated W-2 forms that showed non-existent wages and tax withholdings. This deception resulted in a false claim for an income tax refund and a tax loss to the United States of $7,889.
As part of her plea agreement, Perkins admitted that she knowingly attached the false W-2 forms to the tax returns, intending to cheat the government out of a staggering $346,044. This intended tax loss included not only the tax returns she prepared for clients but also her own returns, which showed losses of over $20,000.
Perkins has agreed to pay restitution to the United States of $66,332, a mere fraction of the damage she caused.
U.S. District Judge Lee Rosenthal accepted the plea today, setting sentencing for June 25, 2015. At that hearing, Perkins faces up to five years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 fine. She has been permitted to remain on bond pending the hearing.
The case was the result of an IRS-CI investigation and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles J. Escher.
Nicole Dette Perkins’s actions have left a trail of financial devastation in her wake. Her crimes are a stark reminder of the importance of vigilance and accountability in our financial systems.
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Key Facts
- State: Texas
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release ↗
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