Florida tax preparer convicted of fraud and impersonation for filing false tax returns | USAO-EDPA

PHILADELPHIA — U.S. Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced that Guy Menard Charles, 51, of Naples, Florida, was found guilty after a trial of 23 counts of fraud and identity theft for filing false federal tax returns as part of a scheme to fraudulently reduce taxes and inflate tax refund amounts claimed on tax returns he prepares for his clients.

The defendant owned and operated Menard Tax Services in Florida. A co-conspirator, based in Philadelphia, recruited clients for the company and purchased personal identifying information for dependents, which Menard used on a number of the clients’ federal tax returns. In addition to the false dependent information, the defendant also included in various false income statements, education credits and federal fuel tax credits. As a result of tax returns containing false information, the US Treasury issued tax refunds to taxpayers to which they were not entitled. The defendant and his co-conspirator shared the preparation costs for their services.

“Our country’s tax system relies on tax preparers to honestly apply our tax laws to help clients accurately report their income and pay their fair share of federal taxes, without bending or ignoring the rules” , said US attorney Williams. “Defendant manipulated his clients’ tax returns at the expense of honest taxpayers who take seriously their legal obligation to file complete and accurate federal income tax returns each year.”

“Fraudsters like Guy Menard Charles give honest tax preparers a bad name,” said IRS Criminal Investigations Special Agent Yury Kruty. “Guy Ménard Charles had a duty to his clients to prepare tax returns that complied with the law, were complete and accurate. The evidence presented during this trial showed that he did not. The jury’s verdict of guilty is another reminder that there is no tolerance for such criminal conduct.

The case has been investigated by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigations, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys David Ignall and Christopher Mannion.