Memphis, Tennessee – A federal grand jury has indicted a Memphis woman on multiple tax-related charges, accusing her of preparing false income tax returns for clients while also failing to file her own federal tax returns over several years.
According to the indictment, Lynette Hogue allegedly prepared and submitted fraudulent tax returns to the Internal Revenue Service between 2021 and 2024 while working for a tax preparation business. Prosecutors claim the returns included false information that allowed clients to receive tax refunds they were not legally entitled to collect.
Federal authorities allege that the inaccurate returns contained fraudulent items that improperly increased the refunds issued by the IRS. The indictment focuses on tax returns Hogue is accused of preparing during the four-year period.
Indictment includes more than 30 federal charges
In addition to the allegations involving her clients, prosecutors say Hogue did not file her own federal income tax returns during the same years.
According to the indictment, she earned substantial income from her work preparing tax returns and was legally required to file annual returns but knowingly failed to do so.
As a result, Hogue now faces 29 counts of willfully aiding and assisting in the preparation and presentation of false tax returns. She is also charged with four counts of willfully failing to file a federal income tax return.
If convicted, she could receive up to three years in federal prison for each count related to the false tax returns, along with up to one year in prison for each count involving the alleged failure to file her own tax returns. Any sentence will ultimately be determined by the court.
The indictment was announced by Assistant Attorney General Colin McDonald of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division and U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant for the Western District of Tennessee.
The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Isaiah Boyd III and Matthew C. Hicks of the Criminal Division’s Tax Section.
An indictment is a formal accusation, and Hogue is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
