A Cleveland woman sentenced to three years in prison for filing false income tax returns on behalf of friends and relatives and fraudulently claiming more than $131,000, said U.S. Attorney Carole Rendon and Kathy Enstrom, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation, Cincinnati Field Office.
Monique Kirk, 39, held herself out as a tax preparer and offered to prepare returns from friends and relatives. Kirk used the personal information they provided to file false and fictitious returns, including false wage income and tax credit information, many for claimants who earned little or no money, according to court documents.
Kirk requested some of the refunds be paid by direct deposit into bank accounts in the name of third parties that she controlled. Kirk converted his money to her own personal use, according to court documents
Kirk filed 21 false tax returns between 2012 and 2014 in which she claimed approximately $131,871 in tax refunds to which neither she nor the claimants were entitled. She was ordered to pay $122,501 in restitution.
“IRS Criminal Investigation stands ready to investigate anyone who would put a taxpayer at risk for a quick profit and unjustly enrich themselves by preparing false claims for refunds,” Enstrom said.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney M. Kendra Klump following an investigation by the IRS-CI.