Man gets 3 yrs for false tax returns

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. (WAVY) - A Newport News tax preparer will spend three years in prison for preparing false tax returns and making false statements.

According to Peter Carr with the U.S. Attorney's Office, Robert Herring, 69, pleaded guilty last May to filing false tax returns while operating Have Taxes Financial Service and GL&JS Tax Service.

Carr said Herring filed the returns between 2006 and 2009, underestimating clients' income and overstating expenses without clients' consent. He would then file an amended report for increased income for clients who needed real estate financing.

“Return preparer fraud is a priority for IRS Criminal Investigation," said IRS Acting SAC Olander. “We have committed to working with our law enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute cases just like these.  Fraud schemes, such as Mr. Herring’s, cause tremendous financial damage to everyone, especially those which defraud the IRS and other financial institutions.  This sentence demonstrates our collective efforts to enforce the law and ensure public trust.”

The total loss in false returns was $174,845 and his mortgage fraud resulted in losses of $917,287.