A tax preparer based in Stillwell, Kan., has been sentenced to 48 months in prison for using stolen client identities to obtain income tax refunds. Drake pleaded guilty on June 6 to one count of aggravated identity theft and one count of theft of government funds.
As part of his scheme, Drake prepared income tax returns for clients, but did not file those with the Internal Revenue Service. He then had clients make estimated tax payments and later filed returns underreported his clients' income and claimed false expenses.
He received $2,432,147 in refunds, which he has been ordered to pay to the IRS, along with $98,087 to be paid to the Kansas Department of Revenue.