Valrico man sentenced for preparing false tax returns

FLORIDA—A Valrico man has been sentenced for his role in aiding in the preparation of false tax returns, said the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida (USAO).

Abdul Q. Aziz was sentenced on June 14 to 15 months in federal prison for aiding in preparing and filing numerous false and fraudulent income tax returns. Mr Aziz entered a guilty plea on April 4, 2022.

According to court documents, Aziz assisted in preparing false income tax returns on behalf of friends and family members. He offered to help these taxpayers obtain large and unwarranted refunds by filing tax returns that falsely claimed income obtained and withholding credits based upon the payment of interest on mortgages that the taxpayers had previously obtained.

The multiple tax returns that Mr Aziz helped to prepare and file with the IRS reportedly led to claims on behalf of taxpayers for unlawful and unauthorized refunds in excess of $1.5 million. The actual loss to the IRS as to those returns is said to have exceeded $226,000.

“This sentencing shows how seriously we are committed to investigating and stopping the filing of fraudulent returns,” said Lani Rosado-Espinal, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Criminal Investigation for the IRS Tampa Field Office.

“Schemes meant to defraud the government will be uncovered. We hope that anyone thinking of participating in this kind of nefarious activity will pause and hopefully realize that their freedom is more valuable than the potential for ill-gotten gains.”

This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service—Criminal Investigation. It is part of a lengthy investigation by the IRS in Tampa and Orlando centered upon this mortgage income/withholding scheme. Assistant United States Attorney Jay L. Hoffer is prosecuting it.