June 8, 10

NEWS / Cincinnati Area Return Preparer Pleads Guilty to Tax Crimes

WASHINGTON -- Idrissa Bassoum, a former resident of Cincinnati, Ohio, pleaded guilty today in federal district court in Cincinnati to aiding in the filing of false tax returns for others and filing his own false tax return, the Justice Department and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced. Bassoum has been held since his arrest on March 18, 2010.

According to court documents, Bassoum began offering tax preparation services under the name Bassoum’s Consulting Service (BCS) in February 2003, operating out of his residence and catering primarily to immigrants. Bassoum prepared and electronically filed tax returns for his clients that included inflated or fictitious expense deductions, such as moving expenses, which resulted in his clients claiming fraudulent tax refunds.

Bassoum took his fees out of his clients’ fraudulent refunds. Despite preparing hundreds of tax returns for his clients during tax years 2003 and 2004, Bassoum failed to report any of his fee income on his personal tax returns. Bassoum received at least $69,915 in unreported fee income during tax year 2004 and $80,771 in unreported fee income during tax year 2005.

Judge Sandra S. Beckwith, who is presiding over the matter, did not schedule a sentencing date. Bassoum faces a maximum sentence of nine years in prison and a $750,000 fine.

The case was investigated by IRS - Criminal Investigation Division and is being prosecuted by Tax Division trial attorneys Jorge Almonte and Sean R. Delaney.

http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2010/June/10-tax-671.html

Tags: document, criminal investigation,