Two Tax Preparers Sentenced in Stolen Identity Tax Refund Fraud Scheme and for Other Types of Tax Fraud

Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida; George L. Piro, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Miami Field Office; and Jose A. Gonzalez, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), announce that Geto Dorlizier, 25, of Boynton Beach, and Jourmel Thomas, 38, of Lake Worth, were sentenced for their participation in a scheme to commit stolen identity tax refund fraud and other types of tax fraud. Dorlizier was sentenced to 111 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. Thomas was sentenced to 61 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release.

Each defendant previously pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to steal, receive, and retain money and things of value of the United States and to forge endorsements on and cash U.S. Treasury checks, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 371, 641, 510(a)(1) and 510(a)(2); count three, which charges the defendant with receipt and retention of things of value of the United States, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 641; and count eight, which charges the defendant with aggravated identity theft, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1028(a)(1).

According to the facts agreed to in the plea agreements and at sentencing, Dorlizier and Thomas, who are brothers, each operated tax preparation businesses. Dorlizier was operating Atlantic Multi-Services LLC (Atlantic Multi-Services) in Delray Beach by at least 2011. Thomas operated JTS Paperworks and Tax Services in Lake Worth in 2013. Between them, the two businesses submitted 706 Federal income tax returns that were fraudulent either in that the taxpayer did not know about or authorize the return to be filed or in that the return contained significant material falsehoods or both. Based on these fraudulent returns, the Treasury Department paid more than $1.6 million in tax refunds.

Mr. Ferrer commended the investigative efforts of the FBI and IRS-CI. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Marc Osborne.

A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls.