A Dallas, Texas-area preparer has been sentenced to 51 months for tax filing fraud. The preparer, Mario Melendez, was also ordered to pay $3,885,456 in restitution for activities at Uptown Multi Services from November 2013 through April 2014.Melenedez was a manager and preparer at the firm, along with co-defendant, Francisco Ventura, who owned Uptown.
He drew the sentence after pleading guilty to aiding and assisting in the preparation of false tax returns. Melendez used techniques such as false education credits and Schedule C expenses. He also assisted Ventura in instructing new preparers in how to prepare phony returns to boost client returns.
