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Devon Williams, 30, a former tax preparer in New Haven now living in Atlanta, was sentenced in New Haven district court to eight months in prison, followed by a year of supervised release, for preparing false tax returns.
In addition to his prison sentence, Williams was also ordered to pay restitution of $550,000.
U.S. Attorney John Durham said that Williams formerly owned and operated Perfect Preparers, LLC, a tax preparation business based in New Haven. Between 2014 and 2017, Williams prepared numerous federal tax returns for clients that contained inflated deductions, including false deductions for unreimbursed employee expenses, charitable donations, and mortgage interest.
Some returns contained false Schedule C (sole proprietorship business) information. Losses suffered by the IRS as a result of his fraud totaled at least $550,000. Durham said that as a result of Williams’ fraudulent conduct, many of his clients’ filed tax returns will need to be amended. Williams’ clients are required to resolve their own tax liability with the IRS.
Williams pleaded guilty to one count of aiding and assisting the preparation of a false tax return in October last year. He remains released on a $150,000 bond and has been ordered to report to prison on Wednesday, March 4.
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