Florida Keys Return Preparer Pleads Guilty To Filing Fraudulent Tax Returns

On January 17, 2019, a Monroe County, Florida tax return preparer pleaded guilty to two counts of filing fraudulent tax returns with the Internal Revenue Service.

Ariana Fajardo Orshan, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, George L. Piro, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Miami Field Office and Michael J. De Palma, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) made the announcement.

According to documents filed with the court, Pedro C. Rodriguez, 51, of Marathon, owned and operated the JC Mar Tax Services tax preparation business in Marathon, Florida. From approximately 2007 through 2017, Rodriguez filed fraudulent returns for his clients seeking refunds to which the clients were not entitled by reporting fictitious itemized deductions and fraudulent education and residential energy credits.  For each of the years 2013 through 2017, Rodriguez submitted between 1,900 and 2,200 tax returns on behalf of his clients.  Rodriguez’s submission of false tax returns caused multi-million dollar losses to the IRS.  A final calculation of the loss amount will be made at sentencing. 

Sentencing is scheduled for April 1, 2019 at 9:00 a.m. before Chief Judge K. Michael Moore, in Key West (Case No. 18-10024-CR).  Rodriguez faces a statutory maximum sentence of three years in prison on each false return count. The defendant also faces a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties.

U.S. Attorney Fajardo Orshan commended the investigative efforts of the FBI and IRS-CI in this matter.   Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel J. Marcet is prosecuting the case.

Information about how the public can protect themselves from tax fraud and report criminal practices may be found at https://www.irs.gov/compliance/criminal-investigation/tax-fraud-alerts.

Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.