Oronogo woman sentenced to three years for preparing false income tax returns

Carrie Shafer, 38, Oronogo, was sentenced to three years in prison today for preparing false income tax returns:

Carrie A. Shafer, 38, of Oronogo, received the statutory maximum penalty when she was sentenced in Springfield federal court, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Missouri.

Shafer, who operated TC’s Taxes & More from her home in Oronogo, pleaded guilty Feb. 21 to assisting in the preparation of a false tax return.

Between 2002 and 2004 Shafer represented prepared tax returns for clients and represented them during audits by the IRS. During that time she prepared more than 1,475 tax returns, nearly all of them false and fraudulent, the press release said.

Shafer has admitted to inflating or fabricating deductions and exemptions for clients and including false income so they could earn larger refunds — refunds the clients now must repay with interest.

More information can be found in the April 25, 2005 Turner Report.