Tampa, Florida –United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Jamica Nelms, Capriesha Cummings, Camille Harper, and Ashley Flournoy with conspiracy to commit tax fraud and aiding or assisting in the preparation of false income tax return documents. If convicted on all counts, each faces a maximum penalty of eight years in federal prison.
According to the indictment, from January 2017 through April 2019, Nelms, Cummings, Flournoy, and Harper were income tax return preparers at Business #1 in St. Petersburg. The defendants conspired to defraud the United States by preparing false income tax returns for numerous Business #1 clients in order for the Internal Revenue Service to issue tax refunds in amounts in excess of what the clients were entitled to receive. In doing so, the defendants prepared fraudulent Individual Income Tax Return Forms 1040 and Schedule C forms that resulted in fraudulent Earned Income Tax Credits, fraudulent fuel tax credits, and education credits.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Gregory Pizzo and Maria Guzman.