NEW ORLEANS – KENISHA R. CALLAHAN, age 44, and a resident of Ponchatoula, Louisiana, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Court Judge Ivan L.R. Lemelle to one count of filing a false tax return, one count of aiding and assisting in the preparation of a false tax return and one count of making a false statement to the Department of Education, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.
According to court records, Count One alleges that CALLAHAN, the owner of Callahan Tax Service, prepared and filed a false 2015 U.S. Individual Tax Return Form 1040, wherein she underreported her earned income for the alleged time. Count Two charges that in 2015, CALLAHAN aided in the preparation and filing of a client’s tax return that falsely stated to the IRS that the client owned a business and that the client had a business loss for the 2014 tax year. Count Three alleges that CALLAHAN committed financial aid fraud by falsely reporting the amount of income that she earned in 2015 to the Department of Education while applying for student loan forgiveness.
Sentencing will be on September 7, 2022, at which time CALLAHAN faces a maximum sentence of three years, up to one year of supervised release, and up to a $100,000 fine per tax count. The Department of Education count calls for a maximum sentence of five years, up to three years of supervised release, and up to a $250,000 fine. For each count, there is also a mandatory $100 special assessment fee.
U.S. Attorney Evans commended the special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation and the Department of Education for their handling of the matter. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Edward J. Rivera.