An Atlantic County tax preparer was sentenced today to one year and one day in prison for using false information to increase her clients’ tax refunds and filing her own false tax returns, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
According to U.S. Attorney Sellinger, Michele Griffin, 42, of Galloway, previously pleaded guilty to an indictment charging her with aiding and assisting in preparing a false income tax return.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Griffin prepared multiple fraudulent tax returns on behalf of her clients by falsifying their education expenses, dependent care expenses, business income, dependent information, and unemployment income.
As a result, her clients’ returns requested higher tax credits and higher refunds than the clients were entitled to receive.
Griffin prepared 19 false tax returns on behalf of six clients for tax years 2013 through 2016 and filed three false tax returns for herself for tax years 2013 through 2015.
She admitted causing a tax loss of approximately $135,000.
In addition to the prison term, Griffin was sentenced to one year of supervised release and ordered to pay restitution of 135,063.