MIDDLESEX COUNTY, NJ — Middlesex County Prosecutor Yolanda Ciccone, alongside Chief Griffin M. Banos of the Monroe Township Police Department and the New Jersey Department of Treasury’s Division of Taxation, announced the sentencing of Jerry R. Jones, an 82-year-old tax preparer from Monroe. Jones was charged after failing to file a personal tax return, despite filing hundreds of fraudulent returns for others.
The investigation, initiated in the summer of 2021 following reports of questionable tax returns filed in Middlesex County, uncovered that Jones had filed fraudulent returns claiming undue deductions, business expenses, or exemptions. This led to either inflated refunds or significant underpayments of income tax for his clients.
In August 2022, a Middlesex County Grand Jury indicted Jones on charges of possessing false government documents, including fraudulent birth certificates and an unauthorized IRS stamp, found during a search of his residence.
Jones pleaded guilty to failing to file a tax return for the income he earned from his tax preparation business. On March 1, he was sentenced by Judge Andrea Carter, J.S.C., to a five-year state prison term, which was suspended under the condition that Jones pays restitution to the New Jersey Treasury for his tax delinquency. Furthermore, Jones is prohibited from filing tax returns for others or providing financial advice.
Clients of Jerry R. Jones are urged to review their previous tax returns for potential inaccuracies and may seek further assistance by contacting Detective Marcus Goode of the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office.