Detroit Tax Preparer Convicted for Filing False Tax Returns, Failing to Report Half a Million Dollars in His Own Income | WPN World People News

The Justice Department, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) announced that Matthew Bender, of Detroit, was convicted of obstructing the IRS and nine counts of aiding and assisting in the preparation of false federal income tax returns following a jury trial in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan.

According to court documents and evidence produced at trial, Bender prepared over 3,000 tax returns between 2006 and 2011 and earned over $500,000 in tax preparation fees. However, Bender failed to report his own income to the IRS, either by filing false tax returns for himself or by failing to file his own tax returns at all. The evidence showed that Bender caused his customer’s tax refunds to be inflated by placing false deductions on their returns.

Following the conviction, Bender remains detained pending sentencing. For each of the 10 counts of conviction, Bender faces a statutory maximum sentence of three years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000.

Source: U.S. Department of Justice