The owners of a Duncanville tax preparation business were sentenced to a combined five and a half years in federal prison for defrauding the IRS out of more than $3.3 million, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.
Valencia Janee Mack, 40, and her former husband, Rodney Lamond Bowman, 47, pleaded guilty in fall 2021 to conspiracy to defraud the United States. Mr. Bowman was sentenced on May 19 by U.S. District Judge Jane J. Boyle to 36 months imprisonment; Ms. Mack was sentenced Thursday to 30 months imprisonment. The pair was ordered jointly and severally liable for $210,442 in restitution.
“Return preparer fraud is like a contagious disease: It affects not only the preparer, but their own clients and the tax-paying public,” said Christopher J. Altemus, Jr., Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Dallas Field Office. “Ms. Mack and Mr. Bowman wreaked havoc on our nation’s tax system and, as a result, will serve jail time. I hope this outcome sends a strong message that tampering with the integrity of our tax system will result in jail time.”
According to court filings, from January 2015 through April 2019, Ms. Mack owned and operated Phase US Tax Services, where she and Mr. Bowman knowingly prepared and filed fraudulent client tax returns with the IRS.
The false tax returns reported fictitious Schedule C losses and Schedule A itemized deductions, intended to cause the IRS to pay fraudulent refunds.
The false…
