Florida businessman to serve time in federal prison for tax fraud

FLORIDA – The former owner of a Jacksonville tax preparation business has been sentenced to federal prison after being found guilty of tax fraud, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida has announced.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida (USAO), United States District Judge Timothy J. Corrigan sentenced Ali Akhenaten, formerly known as Darryl Oliver, to three months in federal prison for tax fraud.

Akhenaten had been found guilty by a jury on April 14, 2022.

According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, Akhenaten owned and operated a tax preparation business in Jacksonville called Florida Financial Solutions, at which he prepared tax returns for others.

On 2014, 2015, and 2016 tax returns Akhenaten prepared for the business, he underreported his business income and overstated the rent paid for his business property, according to the USAO. On the tax returns he filed on his behalf for 2014 and 2015, he allegedly underreported the income he earned from the business.

“Mr. Akhenaten chose to disregard the rules he himself taught to his tax and accounting students and instead prepare fraudulent returns to pad his own pockets,” said Brian Payne, IRS-CI Special Agent in Charge.

“Tax return preparers have a duty to prepare tax returns that comply with the law and we will continue to hold them true to that obligation.”

This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Arnold B. Corsmeier.