Preet Bharara, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that CHRISTOPHER AHERN was sentenced today to 30 months in prison for preparing and filing false and fraudulent tax returns that claimed more than $4.7 million in credits and expenses. AHERN pled guilty on July 5, 2016, before United States District Judge Deborah A. Batts, who imposed today’s sentence.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said: “Christopher Ahern used his clients’ tax returns to bilk the IRS of more than $3 million in fraudulent credits, pocketing more than a million dollars in fees. But because of the investigative efforts of the IRS, Ahern’s dishonest business is closed.”
According to the allegations in the Information to which AHERN pled guilty, other documents filed in Manhattan federal court, and statements made in court proceedings:
AHERN, owned and operated a tax preparation business called Get My Refund Fast, located in the Bronx, New York. From 2012 through 2013, AHERN’s business prepared and submitted to the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) nearly 5,000 tax returns. These tax returns were false and fraudulent in that they claimed education credits to which the clients were not entitled. The IRS issued approximately $3 million pursuant to the false and fraudulent returns AHERN filed. AHERN received more than $1.5 million in fees from his clients for preparing and filing the fraudulent returns.
In addition to his prison term, AHERN, 40, of Little Neck, New York, was sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered to pay $3 million in restitution.
Mr. Bharara praised the investigative work of the IRS, Criminal Investigations.
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