FLORIDA — A Quincy man has been sentenced to 24 months in federal prison for his role in filing false tax returns, according to an announcement by Jason R. Coody, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
The man, Cedrick Campbell, 49, was also ordered to pay $378,041 in restitution after pleading guilty to eleven counts of aiding in preparing false tax returns.
Between 2018 and 2022, Campbell is said to have operated an unofficial tax preparation business from his home in Quincy. In this business, he reportedly falsified taxpayers’ deductions and credits to inflate the refunds owed.
According to federal authorities, his actions resulted in fraudulent claims that impacted both the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and honest taxpayers.
“The United States relies on the honest payment of taxes to defend our country and maintain its operations,” U.S. Attorney Coody said in a statement.
“With the assistance of our dedicated partners at the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations, we are committed to investigating and prosecuting those who steal from hard-working American taxpayers – whether by traditional evasion or the filing of fraudulent claims to further their criminal schemes.”
Ron Loecker, Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation’s Tampa Field Office, highlighted the dangers posed by fraudulent tax preparers, noting that clients are often exposed to penalties and interest.
“Unscrupulous preparers, like Mr. Campbell, should know that they will be investigated and face serious consequences,” said Mr Loecker.
This case was investigated by the IRS-Criminal Investigations and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Gary Milligan.
