EAST ST. LOUIS – U.S. Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe announced on Friday, April 5, 2024, that a woman who currently operates a business in Southern Illinois preparing tax returns faces federal charges for allegedly making intentionally false statements on her personal income tax returns.
A federal grand jury charged Dormeshia A. Haire, 36, of St. Charles, Mo., with three counts of making false statements on her personal income tax returns.
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“Tax preparers must work ethically and abide by federal law, or face consequences from the IRS for intentionally making false statements, committing fraud and ultimately causing the Government to lose significant tax dollars,” said U.S. Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe.
For employment, Haire collected fees from her clients for filing tax returns and selling identity theft monitoring services at her business in St. Clair County.
According to court documents, Haire’s accusations stem from her personal 2019 tax return statement, in which she did not report any gross receipts associated with her employment. The Government estimated her actual gross receipts to be more than $43,000 in 2019.
“IRS Criminal Investigation (CI) continues to make it a top priority to track down return preparers who have demonstrated they cannot be trusted,” said Special Agent in Charge Thomas F. Murdock, St. Louis Field Office. “We take violations of U.S. tax laws very seriously as evidenced by this indictment.”
In her personal 2020 tax return statement, Haire is accused in count two of the indictment of underreporting her gross receipts. Haire reported $23,834, but the Government alleged her gross receipts to be an estimated $192,200.
Count three of the indictment alleges fraud on Haire’s 2021 tax return statement. She reported gross receipts of $50,323, but the Government estimated her gross receipts to be $323,396.
False statement convictions are punishable by up to three years’ imprisonment and fines up to $100,000 per count.
IRS Criminal Investigation is leading the investigation, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathleen Howard is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely a formal charge against a defendant. Under the law, a defendant is presumed to be innocent of a charge until proved guilty beyond a reasonable doubt to the satisfaction of a jury.
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