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WASHINGTON – A Gulfport, Mississippi, tax return preparer was sentenced to 15 months in prison today for aiding and assisting in the preparation of false tax returns, announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst for the Southern District of Mississippi.
According to documents and information provided to the court, Stacey Pritchett Williams owned and operated Stacey’s Unique Tax Service, a tax return preparation business located in the Gulfport area. From 2015 through 2016, Williams filed returns for her clients that reported false business income, education credits, and fuel credits, in an effort to obtain inflated refunds from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Williams often deducted her fee from the client’s refunds and, at times, charged $999 to prepare a return. In all, Williams caused a tax loss to the United States of at least $100,000.
In addition to the term of imprisonment, Senior U.S. District Judge Louis Guirola Jr., ordered Williams to serve one year of supervised release and to pay restitution of $102,382 to the United States.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Zuckerman and U.S. Attorney Hurst thanked special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, who conducted the investigation, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Stan Harris and Trial Attorney Kevin Schneider of the Tax Division, who are prosecuting the case.
The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.