A truck driver was sentenced to federal prison for a “ghost preparer” scheme that caused the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to issue $1.5 million in fraudulent tax refunds.
Dantavious Jackson, 39, a truck driver from Georgia, was sentenced to 84 months in prison after previously pleading guilty to mail fraud, according to a December 16 statement from the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Georgia.
Jackson was also forced to pay more than $1.5 million in restitution to the IRS.
According to officials, Jackson owned and managed a trucking business in Union City, Georgia, as well as a “ghost” tax preparation business on the side. Jackson is referred to as a “ghost preparer” because he failed to disclose his identity on papers he submitted for clients, as required by law.
According to the US Attorney’s Office, Jackson orchestrated a scheme to defraud the United States by preparing and filing thirty-five IRS Forms 941 for himself and two clients, claiming they were entitled to $4,112,297 in tax refunds based on fraudulently claimed employee retention credits (ERCs).
The ERCs were part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, and they were designed to encourage companies to keep employees on the payroll during the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to officials, the plan caused the US Treasury to mail $1,567,855 in false tax returns to Jackson and his clients.
“Tax preparers have a responsibility to accurately prepare tax returns on behalf of their clients. Jackson not only undermined the American tax system and the trust of taxpayers relying on his expertise,” said U.S. Attorney Heap, “but he also took advantage of pandemic relief funds that were intended to help individuals harmed by the pandemic. The sentence imposed by the Court reflects the serious nature of Jackson’s conduct. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Georgia works closely with our partners at IRS Criminal Investigation to protect the law-abiding American public and the treasury by stopping this fraud.”
The IRS Criminal Investigation probed this case.