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David Etienne, a 49-year-old New London County tax return preparer based in Norwich, was sentenced to two years in prison on Wednesday, Jan. 17 for a tax fraud offense, the US Attorney's Office for the District of Connecticut announced.
According to federal officials, Etienne worked through several businesses, including Los Maestros Inc., Los Maestros Group, Tax Experts USA, and Tax Experts USA Inc. Between the 2012 and 2021 tax years, Etienne prepared several federal tax returns for his clients.
Officials said that these tax returns would often include false expenses and losses in connection with sole proprietorship businesses, even though his clients had not operated such businesses.
Additionally, the tax returns included fake unreimbursed employee expenses and false medical, dental, or education-related expenses in some cases, officials added.
In total, Etienne's criminal conduct caused the federal Internal Revenue Service and Connecticut Department of Revenue Services to lose around $600,000.
Etienne pleaded guilty to aiding and assisting in the preparation of a false income tax return on Tuesday, Sept. 5. He is now released on a $100,000 bond until he reports to prison on Wednesday, Feb. 28.
Additional court proceedings are planned to determine restitution. Additionally, Etienne will be required to serve a year of supervised release after his sentence is finished.
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