A 68-year-old tax preparer, Darlene Musgrove, of Tucson was found guilty on 22 counts of preparing false federal income tax returns for her clients without their knowledge.
According to the Department of Justice, twelve of Musgrove’s clients testified at trial that they did not have the deductions that she included on their tax returns and were not aware of the false deductions. They also testified that the refunds they received when Musgrove prepared their returns were larger than they had received in the past. The government alleged at trial that Musgrove’s intent was to acquire larger refunds for her clients so she could secure repeat business.
The total tax loss from the twenty-two false tax returns filed with the Internal Revenue Service is approximately $127,166.
Sentencing is scheduled for Feb. 23, 2027.
A conviction for the aiding and assisting in the preparation and presentation of false federal income tax returns carries a maximum penalty of three years imprisonment and a fine of $100,000, or both.
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