North Texas tax preparer pleads guilty to 10 counts of tax fraud worth $2.6 million
A North Texas tax preparer pleaded guilty to tax fraud worth $2.6 million, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton announced in a news release Tuesday.
Anthony Floyd, 21, of Kennedale, was charged in June 2023 with 10 counts of aiding in the preparation and presentation of false tax returns. He pleaded guilty to all 10 charges on the morning of his trial.
According to court documents, Floyd filed approximately 400 fraudulent tax returns that included false information to increase refunds owed to taxpayers.
He recruited “clients” outside of “big box” stores and obtained their personal information including income and deduction information via text or phone calls, rarely meeting in person, according to the release. He submitted the returns without reviewing returns with the taxpayers and diverted all or most of the refund to his own account, exceeding $2.6 million in tax losses.
The tax filings included falsified W2s, including nonexistent charity donations, nonexistent college attendance, and fictitious relatives, according to the release.
“Mr. Floyd’s guilty plea shows that tax fraud is not a victimless crime,” said Christopher J. Altemus Jr., Special Agent in Charge of the IRS Criminal Investigation’s Dallas Field Office. “Mr. Floyd took advantage of his neighbors by preparing fraudulent tax returns and trying to steal over $2 million from the U.S. government. Mr. Floyd’s case should remind all tax practitioners to adhere to professional standards and follow the law.”
Floyd faces up to three years for each count, totaling 30 years in prison.
