New Jersey Preparers Plead Guilty to Tax Charges

Two New Jersey tax preparers have pleaded guilty to preparing false tax returns.

Ashraf Hassan-Gouda, a former resident of Mays Landing, N.J., has pleaded guilty to one count of assisting in the preparation of a false federal individual income tax return.

The Justice Department and the Internal Revenue Service said Thursday that Hassan-Gouda was the owner of Tax World, a tax preparation business located in Atlantic City, N.J. Hassan-Gouda prepared the false tax return for a client at his business in 2003. He was charged by a federal indictment returned on March 27, 2007.

The matter had been scheduled for trial beginning May 6, 2013 before U.S. District Court Chief Judge Jerome B. Simandle in Camden, N.J. Sentencing is scheduled for June 17, 2013. Hassan-Gouda faces up to three years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.

Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department’s Tax Division Kathryn Keneally credited special agents of IRS - Criminal Investigation, for investigating the case, and Tax Division trial attorneys Yael Epstein, Thomas Voracek and Shawn Noud, who prosecuted the case.

Separately, the IRS and the Justice Department announced that Eric Majette, 52, a tax return preparer and owner and operator of the Berrisford Group, located in Somerville, N.J., pleaded guilty Tuesday to corruptly endeavoring to obstruct and impede the Internal Revenue laws and to preparing a false tax return.

A federal grand jury sitting in Trenton, N.J., returned a superseding indictment on Jan. 17, 2013, charging Majette with 29 counts of aiding and assisting in the preparation of false tax returns for clients and one count of corruptly endeavoring to obstruct and impede the Internal Revenue laws.

According to the superseding indictment, Majette prepared false tax returns for clients by inflating itemized deductions and credits such as charitable contributions, unreimbursed employee expenses, and energy credits. In addition, when his clients were audited, Majette submitted false charitable contribution receipts to the IRS to support the fraudulent returns that he prepared.

Sentencing has been scheduled for Sept. 24, 2013. The case was investigated by special agents of IRS - Criminal Investigation. Trial attorneys Tino M. Lisella and Robert C. Kennedy of the Justice Department’s Tax Division are prosecuting the case.

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