A trio of sisters have admitted their roles in a $3M tax fraud operation that had them concocting bogus claims to snag hefty refunds, the U.S. Attorney's Office confirmed. According to an official release, Maria Lourdes Campos, Elizabeth Romo, and Gloria Romo pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges related to their ten-year tax preparation business, Campos Tax Service (CTS). They now face prison time and may have to fork out a quarter of a million dollars each in fines.

The Campos sisters were found to swiftly and consistently manipulate tax forms to unjustly boost returns by fabricating residential energy credits and business expenses. It's said that clients of the Rio Grande Valley's CTS were often left in the dark, receiving just the refund amounts or incomplete documentation post-filing. These crafty tax maneuvers were conducted between 2018 and 2020, impacting a reported 6,501 federal income tax returns with inflated residential energy credits.

According to a statement obtained by the U.S. Justice Department, the deceptive practices led to a total tax deficit of $3,672,472. Notably, the ringleader, Maria Lourdes Campos, and Elizabeth Romo could be looking at up to five years behind bars, while Gloria Romo might be locked up for three years. U.S. District Judge Drew B. Tipton is expected to pronounce their sentences on the coming August 27th.

All three women currently remain out on bond until their sentencing date. Their freedom hangs by a thread, underscored by the gravity of their tax hijinks that have potentially to greatly disadvantaged honest taxpayers and the U.S. Treasury. This case, spearheaded by the IRS Criminal Investigation unit, is being brought to justice by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eric D. Flores and Cahal P. McColgan, who are no strangers to cracking down on financial foul play.