An Illinois tax return preparer has been sentenced to 16 months in prison for preparing and filing false tax returns. Court documents reveal that Gary Sandiego, from Barrington, owned G. Sandiego and Associates, a tax preparation business. Between 2014 and 2017, he prepared false income tax returns for clients by inflating or fabricating expenses to claim residential energy credits and employment-related expense deductions. This resulted in a tax loss of approximately $4,586,154 to the IRS.
U.S. District Court Judge Jorge L. Alonso ordered Sandiego to serve one year of supervised release following his prison term and pay $2,910,442 in restitution to the IRS.
The announcement was made by Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Acting U.S. Attorney Morris Pasqual for the Northern District of Illinois.
The case is being investigated by IRS Criminal Investigation, with Trial Attorneys Andrew Kameros and Sara Henderson of the Justice Department’s Tax Division prosecuting.