Former Griffith resident sentenced for tax fraud

HAMMOND — A former Griffith resident was sentenced to 46 months in prison for filing a fraudulent tax return.

Arthur Lee Smith, 60, of Chicago, was also ordered to serve two years of supervised release following his release and to pay $313,871 in restitution to the government.

Smith pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to filing a fraudulent tax return with the Internal Revenue Service on behalf of an individual to increase the taxpayer's refund. He also admitted to taking similar actions when it came to other individuals, according to court documents. From Jan 1, 2014, to at least April 23, 2014, he allegedly held himself out as a tax preparer using the names "King Solomon" and "Buddy", according to the indictment in the case.

According to the government, when preparing tax returns for clients, Smith sometimes fraudulently reported an overinflated salary and federal income tax withheld for his clients and other times fraudulently reported unearned wages, unpaid federal income tax withheld, and/or false dependents. The fraudulent filings led to fraudulent refunds being issued to Smith's clients, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

Read more: http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/lake/former-griffith-resident-sentenced-for-tax-fraud/article_a9276461-80e8-5600-85c8-5ceca5aa786e.html