Crime & Safety
Fair Lawn Tax Preparer Pleads Guilty To Fraud
BREAKING: Shirley Arias falsified tax returns and made up school credits for clients, officials said. The scandal cost the government $130K.
FAIR LAWN, NJ — A borough tax preparer plead guilty to tax fraud Wednesday in federal court.
Shirley Arias, a.k.a. "Shirley Zambrano," 43, plead guilty before U.S. District Judge Esther Salas to aiding and assisting others in the preparation of false and fraudulent tax returns, said Acting U.S. Attorney William E. Fitzpatrick.
Arias owned and ran Santos & Associates in Union City and assisted with filing income tax returns with false information from 2012 through 2014, Fitzpatrick said.
Find out what's happening in Fair Lawn-Saddle Brookfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Arias used "a number of fraudulent practices," including falsely claiming deductions and fabricating educational credits for clients in order to increase their tax refunds, the acting attorney said.
The bogus returns resulted in a tax loss for the federal government of about $130,000, Fitzpatrick said.
Find out what's happening in Fair Lawn-Saddle Brookfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
She faces a maximum prison sentence of three years a a $250,000 fine.
Sentencing is scheduled for July 25.
Send local news tips, photos, and press releases to daniel.hubbard@patch.com. Get Patch breaking news alerts sent right to your phone with our new app. Download here.
Image via Shutterstock
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
