Texas tax preparer sentenced in IRS false return fraud case
Federal prosecutors are continuing to close out a multidefendant tax fraud case tied to false client returns filed in Texas between 2020 and 2022. The latest sentence sends preparer Sivagami Chidambaram to prison for 14 months after she admitted conduct that caused more than $250,000 in tax losses to the U.S.
Highlights
- Mathews Chacko, a Texas tax preparation business owner, was sentenced to 50 months in prison for conspiracy to defraud the IRS, causing a tax loss exceeding $3.5 million.
- Three additional preparers—Anish Pillai (26 months in prison), Subhala Suresh (18 months), and Mou Kundu (18 months home confinement)—received sentences in July for aiding false tax returns.
- This case underscores intensified enforcement in the tax preparation sector, exposing clients and firms to heightened criminal and repayment risks.
Sentences add to broader Texas tax fraud crackdown
According to U.S. Department of Justice, tax preparation business owner Mathews Chacko was previously sentenced to 50 months in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to defraud the IRS in the same case. He admitted causing a tax loss to the U.S. of more than $3.5 million but less than $9.5 million.Three other preparers tied to the scheme were sentenced in July. Anish Pillai received 26 months in prison, Subhala Suresh received 18 months in prison, and Mou Kundu received 18 months of home confinement after pleading guilty to aiding and assisting the filing of a false tax return.
The case highlights continuing enforcement pressure on the tax preparation sector, where preparer misconduct can expose both clients and firms to criminal penalties and large repayment risks. IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the matter, and prosecutors from the Justice Department's Tax Section and National Fraud Enforcement Division handled the case with the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Texas.
Our earlier article covered the sentencing of Bosnian national Sasa Micev after prosecutors said he attempted to broker a 2020 deal for SA-18 Igla man-portable air defense systems tied to North Korea in violation of U.S. sanctions. We noted that the case underscored aggressive U.S. enforcement of sanctions and export-control rules, with investigators detailing the use of pricing discussions and falsified documents even though the transaction ultimately collapsed over a dispute.
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