Charles Anthony Keemer, a 64-year-old resident of Upper Marlboro, Maryland, has pleaded guilty to aiding and assisting in the preparation and filing of false tax returns. The announcement was made by Kelly O. Hayes, United States Attorney for the District of Maryland, alongside Special Agent in Charge Kareem Carter from the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation Division's Washington Field Office.
Keemer was involved in preparing U.S. Individual Income Tax Returns (Forms 1040) for clients in exchange for fees. Despite not being registered as a tax preparer with any regulatory body and lacking both education and work experience in tax preparation, Keemer continued his activities without reporting his income from this business on his own tax returns.
According to the plea agreement, between 2013 and 2016, Keemer prepared and submitted hundreds of income tax returns electronically through online software from various locations in Maryland. He met clients at different sites within the state to receive payments for his services.
Keemer added materially false items to these returns to fraudulently increase the refunds issued by the IRS to his clients. These false items included fictitious Schedule C businesses and fraudulent expenses purportedly incurred by these businesses.
The total tax loss caused to the IRS due to Keemer's actions is estimated at approximately $128,691. For his crimes, Keemer faces a maximum sentence of three years in federal prison. Sentencing will be determined by a federal district court judge after considering relevant guidelines and statutory factors. A sentencing date has not yet been set by U.S. District Judge Lydia Kay Griggsby.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the IRS-Criminal Investigation Division for their efforts on this case and thanked Assistant United States Attorneys Brooke Oki and Coreen Mao for prosecuting it.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and available community resources, visit www.justice.gov/usao-md or https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.