A Bloomfield tax preparer has admitted to filing false IRS returns in order to get his clients large refunds to which they were not entitled, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman reported last week.
Rigot Joseph, 54, pleaded guilty Thursday in federal court in Trenton to one count of aiding and assisting in the preparation and filing of false returns.
According to documents filed in the case and statements made in court:
Joseph, the sole owner of RJM Professional Tax Services in East Orange, helped prepare returns that fabricated and inflated itemized deductions for filing years 2003 through 2007. He then filed the forms with the Internal Revenue Service.
The returns included client deductions based on false gifts to charity, false job expenses and other false miscellaneous expenses.
Joseph, who is to be sentenced in January, faces three years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Fishman credited special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Victor W. Lessoff, with the investigation leading to the guilty plea.
— Karen Zautyk
