BINGHAMTON, N.Y. — Lavyette Anna Louisa Garcia has admitted to filing false tax returns for paid clients, costing the IRS nearly $1 million, according to federal prosecutors.
Louisa Garcia, 41, of Oxford, could face up to eight years in prison.
U.S. Attorney Grant C. Jaquith and James D. Robnett, special agent in charge of the New York field office of the IRS-Criminal Investigation, announced the guilty plea and said Garcia would be sentenced on July 17.
“As part of her guilty plea, Louisa Garcia admitted that she prepared tax returns for a fee while residing in Oxford and also Norwich, New York. She admitted to preparing at least 110 false tax returns between 2011 and 2014, resulting in an intended loss to the United States of $848,196,” according to a statement from Jaquith’s office.
Louisa Garcia also admitted to preparing tax returns in 2009 and 2012 falsely claiming self-employment income and several tax credits. “These false returns caused the United States Treasury Department to issue refunds to which the taxpayers were not entitled,” the statement said.
In addition to the prison sentence, Louisa Garcia could face post-imprisonment supervised release of up to three years, and a fine of up to $250,000.
Contact McChesney at cmcchesney@cnybj.com