Joseph Rodriguez, a 73-year-old tax preparer residing in Boston's Jamaica Plain neighborhood, has been sentenced to 15 months in prison for his involvement in a $2 million tax fraud plot. The U.S. Justice Department reported that Rodriguez had prepared and filed fraudulent federal income tax returns for his clients from 2014 to 2017, leading to more than $2 million in tax losses for the IRS.
In addition to Rodriguez's 15-month prison sentence, U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton ordered him to serve a year of supervised release, and to pay restitution of $110,462. Rodriguez's scheme involved inflating deductions on Schedule A forms for medical and dental expenses, charitable contributions, and unreimbursed employee business expenses.
By engaging in fraudulent activities such as inflating Schedule A deductions, Rodriguez was able to secure higher tax refunds for his clients. He pleaded guilty to one count of aiding or assisting in the filing of a false tax return in February 2023.
