In a recent turn of events, Vancouver, Washington-based tax preparer Keith Altamirano has been handed a sentence of 18 months in federal prison. The sentencing comes on the back of his guilty plea to sixteen counts of aiding and assisting in the preparation of false federal tax returns, the U.S. Attorney's Office reported. Operating his business under the alias “Servicios Latinos,” Altamirano's deceptive practices led to a substantial tax loss exceeding $5 million for the U.S. Treasury, as revealed by statistical sampling analysis.
The crimes for which the 52-year-old was convicted included falsifying clients' tax returns with incorrect deductions and expenses, such as fabricated medical costs, charitable donations, business expenditures, and the depreciation of non-existent vehicles. In a scheme aimed at removing himself from suspicion, Altamirano omitted his name from his clients' filed returns. His unaware clients were thus entangled in unlawful activities, believing they were receiving legitimate services as he attracted more customers keen on larger refunds.
In their push for a stringent punishment, prosecutors highlighted how Altamirano exploited his clients' trust and lack of tax knowledge, an issue emphasized during sentencing by Chief U.S. District Judge David G. Estudillo. Tax fraud "impacts our government’s ability to “function properly”," Estudillo acknowledged, as quoted by the U.S. Attorney's Office. The judge also underscored the need for "deterrence [was] necessary."
On top of his federal sentence, Altamirano received a 135-month concurrent term by Clark County for a separate conviction on attempted second-degree murder and drug charges. This state sentence is set to run concurrently with his federal sentence, based on the Clark County judgment. According to court records, Altamirano has been ordered to liquidate one of his four properties to fulfill an obligation to pay $104,518 in restitution to the IRS, the total tax loss directly tied to the 16 guilty counts.
The IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) spearheaded the investigation into Altamirano's fraudulent operations. Attorney Amanda McDowell is credited with prosecuting the tax fraud case, according to the details provided by the U.S. Attorney's Office.
