Date: April 12, 2024 Contact: newsroom@ci.irs.gov DENVER — The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Lance McCuistion of Thornton, Colorado, was indicted by a federal grand jury for preparing false tax returns on behalf of clients. In July 2014, McCuistion plead guilty to preparing false tax returns in a prior investigation and was sentenced to probation. As a result of that offense, McCuistion was unable to obtain a Preparer Tax Identification Number (PTIN). However, according to the indictment, from approximately April 2018 through April 2022, McCuistion used PTINs in the names of three individuals associated with McCuistion to prepare tax returns on behalf of clients. These tax returns claimed items for which McCuistion knew the taxpayers were not eligible in order to increase refunds or reduce taxes due. The defendant made his initial appearance on April 12, 2024, before Magistrate Judge Scott T. Varholak. The charges contained in the indictment are allegations and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. This case is being investigated by the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (CI). The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Weiss. CI is the criminal investigative arm of the IRS, responsible for conducting financial crime investigations, including tax fraud, narcotics trafficking, money-laundering, public corruption, healthcare fraud, identity theft and more. CI special agents are the only federal law enforcement agents with investigative jurisdiction over violations of the Internal Revenue Code, obtaining a more than a 90 percent federal conviction rate. The agency has 20 field offices located across the U.S. and 12 attaché posts abroad.
