EVANSVILLE- Tonda Avery, 55, of Evansville, has been sentenced to one year and one day in federal prison, followed by one year of supervised release, after pleading guilty to five counts of Aiding and Assisting in the Preparation and Presentation of a False and Fraudulent Tax Return. Avery was also ordered to pay $1,318,455.43 in restitution. This case was brought as part of the Trump Administration’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud.
According to court documents, Avery operated Diversity Tax Service (DTS) in Evansville, Indiana. Avery prepared federal income tax returns for clients and employed other tax return preparers at DTS. Between 2020 and 2021, Avery prepared and filed approximately 123 tax returns containing false Forms 7202, causing a total tax loss of $965,203.
Form 7202 allowed eligible self-employed individuals to claim refundable tax credits for certain periods in which they…
This involves defrauding the state or using government systems to steal from individuals.
- Tax Identity Theft: A criminal uses your ID and income details to file a tax return in your name and claim a refund before you do.
- Grant/Benefit Fraud: Falsely claiming unemployment, disability, or social grants that the perpetrator is not entitled to.