Orange County Tax Preparer Charged With Tax Evasion

NEW WINDSOR, NY — A tax preparer in Orange County was charged with issuing false and fraudulent tax returns and tax evasion. Geoffrey S. Berman, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, said Thursday that Eversley E. Barrrett, 64, the owner of a tax preparation business called Eversley Tax in New Windsor, was charged with 84 counts.

The first 83 counts charge him with aiding and assisting the preparation of false and fraudulent U.S. tax returns, each of which carries a maximum sentence of three years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000.

He is also charged with one count of attempting to evade or defeat tax, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000.

Barrett surrendered to authorities Thursday morning.

According to the allegations contained in the indictment, from 2012 through 2016, Barrett's tax prep business prepared and sent to the IRS, on average, more than 700 tax returns each year.

Some of these tax returns were false and fraudulent in that they contained various fabricated inflated items such as filing statuses, rental real estate losses, unreimbursed employee business expenses, gifts to charity, real estate-related expenses and the application of certain tax credits.

Barrett's inclusion of these false and fraudulent deductions led the returns to falsely claim refunds.

Authorities said Barrett also prepared and filed his own tax returns, which contained many of the same falsely inflated items.

Also Barrett, who received many of his fees for his tax preparation services in cash, failed to report more than $300,000 in gross receipts for Eversley Tax for the tax year 2012 through 2015.

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