A Somerville tax preparer, Yves Isidor, 68, was convicted on five counts of filing false tax returns after trial evidence substantiated that his scheme spanned from at least 2012 through 2020. However, Isidor was acquitted on one count and faces sentencing on Feb. 6, 2025, as scheduled by U.S. Senior District Court Judge William G. Young, the U.S. Attorney's Office announced yesterday.
Under the guise of his business Tax and Realty Pro, Isidor filed over 1,200 tax returns for clients charging between $100 to $500 each, he apparently added false medical and dental expenses, charitable donations and business costs to inflate refunds or reduce tax bills for his clients, many of whom testified they had no knowledge of the fraudulent claims; adding to the drama an undercover agent also testified having witnessed Isidor in the act of creating a bogus return for the agent under a pseudonym.
Acting U.S. Attorney Joshua S. Levy commented on the duty of ethical practice in tax preparation, saying, "When someone hires an individual to complete your tax returns, they have a right to expect honesty, professionalism and integrity," while IRS Special Agent in Charge Harry Chavis, Jr., emphasized that Isidor betrayed the trust placed in him by his local community, pointing out the ripple effect such fraud has on public resources, "These countless acts lead to the reduction of tax revenue that local communities rely on to fund schools and maintain essential civil services," Chavis explained, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
The conviction for aiding and assisting in the preparation of false tax returns each carry a potential three-year prison sentence, plus one year of supervised release, a $250,000 fine, and restitution; these sentences are at the discretion of a federal district court judge, who factors in U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and related statutes, Assistant U.S. Attorney Victor A. Wild of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit and Christina M. Grimes, Trial Attorney for the Justice Department's Tax Division, jointly prosecuted Isidor's case.
