A Union City tax preparer who received more than $300,000 for filling out fraudulent tax returns has been sentenced to nearly two years in prison, a federal prosecutor said Tuesday.
Michael Thornton, 41, received one year and eight months in prison followed by a year of supervised release. He also must pay $319,242 in restitution.
U.S. Attorney Sally Quillian Yates said that from the 2005 to 2006 tax years, Thornton filed 340 returns for numerous co-workers and associates while working as an operations manager at a collections agency. He charged $150 to $650 for his services.
As part of the scheme, Thornton inflated clients’ incomes and lied about deductions. He also didn’t disclose he was the tax preparer.
He pleaded guilty to tax fraud and convicted on June 16. Thornton faced up to three years in prison.
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