Richard Alan Williams, Tax Fraud, Michigan 2023

Richard Alan Williams, a tax preparer from Jackson, Michigan, was found guilty of 20 counts of filing false tax returns, a federal jury decided yesterday after a week-long trial.

Williams, who owned and operated Imperial Tax Service on Prospect Street in Jackson, was convicted of three counts of subscribing and filing false personal income tax returns for himself and 17 counts of assisting in the preparation and filing of false tax returns for his customers.

The case was tried before U.S. District Judge Stephen J. Murphy, III. At trial, witness testimony and exhibits established that Williams prepared and filed false tax returns for individuals for the 2004, 2006, and 2007 tax years, claiming false business expenses or losses that caused taxpayers' refunds to be larger than what they were entitled to.

Williams also declared that his own income was only $1 in 2004, $2 in 2006, and $10 in 2007, when in fact he earned substantial fees for preparing tax returns during each of those years. A number of taxpayers who testified that Williams had prepared their returns but had added phony business expenses or income were unaware of the false items Williams had included to increase their refunds. However, a number of them have since been audited by the IRS and have been directed to pay back the excess refunds they received for those years along with penalties and interest.

A sentencing hearing was set for June 5. The maximum penalty for each offense of conviction is up to three years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and one year of supervised release.

“IRS Criminal Investigation focuses on protecting revenue by identifying, investigating and prosecuting abusive return preparers. This case accentuates the importance for taxpayers to carefully select a tax return preparer,” said Special Agent in Charge Jarod Koopman.

The case was investigated by Special Agents of the IRS Criminal Investigations and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Varner and Ross I. MacKenzie.

Richard Alan Williams is currently awaiting sentencing, facing up to 60 years in prison and $5 million in fines.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-edmi/pr/former-jackson-tax-preparer-found-guilty-tax-fraud