A Lawton woman convicted of tax fraud for filing false income tax returns has been sentenced in federal court.
LaQuinta D. Fisher, 27, pleaded guilty in October to filing false income tax returns in an attempt to maximize refunds for her "clients." Fisher describedherself as a "self-taught tax preparer," and using a scheme she found on the internet, would file false tax returns, claiming income where therewas none in order to claim the earned income credit for child care.
According to a press release from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Oklahoma, Fisher recruited clients by word of mouthand through distributing flyers, promising that she could help them get a refund:
"Fisher advised her clients that all they needed was a dependent child in order to receive a refund from the government. She then falsified returnsfor clients by adding fictitious income to increase the earned income credit (EIC) and by adding false dependents to maximize the EIC, which resultedin false refund claims. Fisher prepared and submitted the returns for her clients electronically to the IRS."
Fisher told the court that she never meant to "scam" anyone,and was only trying to help others pay their bills and handle child care expenses. In court documents, she said, "I didn't scam them intothinking this was legal. (I) simply said this (is) how I've been making it and nothing's happened to me."
She furthered that drug addiction "clouded her mind," but that she now wants to focus on her sobriety and her five children.
U.S. District Judge David L. Russell sentenced Fisher to 18 months in prison and ordered her to pay $133,955 in restitution to the IRS.
