Wayne Dunich-Kolb, False Tax Filing, New Jersey 2024

A tax preparer from Bergen County, New Jersey, was sentenced to 72 months in prison for filing false federal income tax returns, stealing client refunds, and committing identity theft.

Wayne Dunich-Kolb, 54, previously pleaded guilty to four counts of a second superseding indictment: aiding and assisting preparation of false tax returns; subscribing to false tax returns; mail fraud while on pretrial release; and aggravated identity theft.

Judge Kevin McNulty imposed the sentence in Newark federal court.

Dunich-Kolb operated a tax preparation business through which he prepared and filed tax returns through various tax preparation entities, including Dunich-Kolb LLC, Jadran Services Corp., Adriatica Payroll Corp., Adriatica Tax Planning LLC, and Adriatic Tax Planning LLC.

He caused many of his clients to form fictitious partnerships or corporations that existed in name only and had no business purpose other than to falsely reduce the clients’ tax liability.

Dunich-Kolb also falsified clients’ individual federal income tax returns, partnership returns, and corporation returns by fabricating and inflating business and partnership Schedule K-1 losses, deductions for unreimbursed employee business expenses, and expenses and cost basis of rental properties.

In addition to the prison term, Judge McNulty sentenced Dunich-Kolb to three years of supervised release and ordered him to pay restitution of $2.2 million to the IRS.

U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito credited special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing.

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