A central Mississippi woman is pleading guilty to filing false returns from her tax preparation business.
Court records show Teresa C. Chism pleaded guilty Friday to one count of false or fraudulent claims in federal court in Jackson.
U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst says evidence shows the former Durant resident prepared more than 550 false tax returns between 2005 and 2015, seeking more than $3.5 million in fraudulent tax refunds.
Hurst says Chism also didn’t pay income taxes of her own from 2013 to 2015, despite earning more than $100,000 in those years. An undercover agent witnessed Chism falsely inflate a claimed refund in 2015.
Chism is scheduled for sentencing on Nov. 8. She faces up to five years in prison and up to a $250,000 in fines, plus possible restitution. (AP)
Related: Justice Department Seeking to Shut Tax Prep Business in Durant
