A tax preparer based in Atlantic County, N..J., has been accused of filing phony tax returns for her clients and her own federal income tax returns. Michele Griffin, age 40, of Galloway, N.J., has been arrested following a 19-count indictment recently.Griffin faces 19 counts of aiding and assisting in the preparation and filing of false tax returns and three counts of filing her own false tax returns. The client returns were filed for tax years 2013 through 2016 and her returns that are subjects of the indictment were from tax years 2013 through 2015.
The accusations are that she filed multiple fraudulent tax returns for her clients. She is charged with falsifying education and dependent care expenses, business income, dependent information, and unemployment income to generate higher refunds.
Each count carries a maximum penalty of three years in prison and a $250,000 fine
