A Beaumont woman has been charged in connection with federal tax return fraud in the Eastern District of Texas, according to an announcement from the U.S. Attorney Attorney’s Office on April 29.
Chrysantha Wilson, a Southeast Texas tax preparer, was indicted by a federal grand jury and charged with 40 counts of assisting in the preparation of fraudulent federal tax returns. Wilson appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Christine L. Stetson on April 28 for an initial appearance and arraignment. Wilson faces up to three years in federal prison for each count if convicted.
According to Wilson’s indictment, the accused operated in violation of federal law barring fraud and false statements aiding and assisting in the preparation of a false and fraudulent return.
“Wilson, defendant, a resident of Beaumont, Texas, willfully aided and assisted in, and procured, counseled, and advised, the preparation of and presentation to the Internal Revenue Service, U.S. Income Tax Return, Forms 1040, either individual or joint, for the taxpayers and calendar years set below,” the indictment reads, further indicating a series of filings made between 2020 and 2023. All the alleged fraudulent filings were accompanied by a Schedule C (Form 1040), an IRS tax form used by sole proprietors, independent contractors, freelancers, and single-member LLCs to report annual profit or loss from business activities. Schedule C is filed alongside Form 1040 to report business income and deduct ordinary and necessary expenses, with net earnings subject to self-employment tax.
“The returns were false and fraudulent as to material matters, in that they represented that the taxpayers were entitled under the provisions of the Internal Revenue laws to claim deductions for items and in amounts hereinafter specified, whereas, as the defendant then and there knew, the taxpayers were not entitled to claim deductions in the claimed amounts,” the indictment further reads.
Chrysantha Wilson