Date: September 15, 2023 Contact: newsroom@ci.irs.gov HOUSTON — A tax preparer has been sent to federal prison following his conviction for willfully preparing a false joint 2017 individual income tax return, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. Fabrice Mahinga pleaded guilty Nov. 29, 2022. U.S. District Judge Keith P. Ellison has now ordered Mahinga to serve 33 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by one year of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence that Mahinga had a notable criminal history. In handing down the sentence, the court remarked on the seriousness of Mahinga's criminal conduct, particularly given his status as a refugee in the United States. As part of his plea, Mahinga admitted that from 2016 to 2018, he operated Kennedy Tax Service located in Houston. He admitted he often claimed fake Schedule C items, education and fuel tax credits on the returns he prepared. In 2019, he assisted with the preparation of a tax return that should have resulted in a tax owed of $42. Mahinga added to the return a false Schedule C and false credits that resulted in a false claim for an income tax refund of $4,257 from the IRS. A copy of the return reflected a false income tax refund of a lesser refund - $3,259 - when the refund claimed on the return filed with the IRS was $4,257. Mahinga took responsibility of $270,612 of loss to the IRS and agreed to pay $182,212 in restitution. Mahinga was permitted to remain on bond and voluntarily surrender to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation. Former Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA) Charles J. Escher and AUSA Christian T. Latham prosecuted the case.
