Philadelphia, Pennsylvania - A Philadelphia, tax return preparer was sentenced to 60 months in prison Monday for conspiring to defraud the United States, preparing false client tax returns, wire fraud, and identity theft, announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney William M. McSwain for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
“As today’s sentencing makes clear, corrupt tax preparers who falsify tax returns, and particularly those who exploit stolen minors’ identities to do so, will not go unpunished,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman.
“Today’s sentence is an appropriate reminder to tax preparers that attempting to defraud the federal government will result in serious consequences,” said U.S. Attorney McSwain. “And here, the defendant’s actions will have ramifications for years to come because he stole the identities of children as part of his fraud. My office will continue to work with our federal partners here and in Washington D.C. to prioritize the investigation and prosecution of tax crimes.”
According to the evidence presented at trial, Nvahbulai Quisiah owned and operated First Premier Tax Service, a tax return preparation business in Philadelphia. From 2010 through 2017, Quisiah falsified clients’ tax returns by claiming false dependents based on stolen minors’ identities, as well as false itemized deductions and business losses in order to increase the refunds paid by the IRS.
In February 2020, a federal jury found Quisiah guilty on all counts.
In addition to the term of imprisonment, U.S. District Judge Nitza I. Quiñones Alejandro ordered Quisiah to serve three years of supervised release and to pay $215,941 in restitution to the United States.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Zuckerman and U.S. Attorney McSwain thanked special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, who conducted the investigation, and Trial Attorney Ann M. Cherry of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony Wzorek, who prosecuted the case.
