Tax Preparer Brought in $330K in Bogus Refunds: Prosecutors

GLEN BURNIE, MD — A Glen Burnie tax preparer was sentenced to one year and a day in prison for helping to prepare false tax returns that brought in more than $330,000 in bogus refunds, federal prosecutors said.

Christine Little, 43, was sentenced to prison time on Wednesday, followed by one year of supervised release.

According to her plea agreement, Little identified herself as the CEO of TNT Taxes. From February to June 2011, she recruited taxpayers to use her services, claiming to specialize in business and individual taxes and “amendments.”

Little admitted that she prepared 29 false federal tax returns. She placed information on the tax returns that did not reflect the information given by clients; falsely inflated withholdings and real estate taxes; and caused the returns to contain false personal property taxes, home mortgage interest and charitable deductions.

In April 2011, an undercover federal agent had Little prepare his individual federal tax return; the completed return did not accurately reflect the information the agent supplied to her, authorities said in a release. Instead, the tax return included false deductions and inflated withholding amounts, resulting in a fraudulent refund claim of more than $11,000.