Maryland Return Preparer Pleads Guilty to Tax Fraud | OPA

A Maryland return preparer pleaded guilty today to conspiring to defraud the United States and to assisting in the preparation of a false tax return.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Lenore Worthy provided tax return preparation services in Temple Hills under several business names, including United Tax Services LLC. For the tax years 2012 through 2018, Worthy and her co-conspirators fraudulently inflated client refunds by adding false deductions and business losses. The IRS later expelled Worthy and United Tax Services from the IRS e-file program after Worthy prepared a false return for an undercover IRS agent. Worthy then began using another co-conspirator’s e-filing credentials in order to continue preparing clients’ returns. In total, Worthy caused a tax loss to the IRS of $189,748.

Worthy is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 20, 2021, and faces a maximum penalty of eight years in prison. Worthy also faces a period of supervised release, restitution, and monetary penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Acting U.S. Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner for the District of Maryland made the announcement.

The IRS-Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.

Trial Attorney Kathryn Sparks of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Leah Grossi of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland are prosecuting the case.