KANSAS CITY, MO. — This is an official press release from the U.S. Department of Justice (USAO - Missouri, Western), published as received.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., woman has been indicted by a federal grand jury for preparing fraudulent tax returns that illegally claimed more than $300,000 in refunds for her clients.
Tanisha Spencer, 34, of Kansas City, Mo., was charged in an 11-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Mo., on Tuesday, May 20. Spencer was arrested today and made her first appearance in federal court.
The federal indictment charges Spencer with 11 counts of aiding and assisting in the preparation and filing of false and fraudulent income tax returns. The indictment alleges that Spencer assisted at least 6 individuals to file at least 11 false and fraudulent income tax returns for the tax years 2021 through 2022. The tax loss associated with those false returns is approximately $334,445.
The federal income tax returns prepared by Spencer allegedly included Sick and Family Leave Credits, illegitimate Fuel Tax Credits, and fraudulently inflated Federal Withholding amounts. By including these and other fraudulent items on the client’s tax returns, the indictment says, Spencer was able to manufacture substantial refunds to her clients that they would not have been entitled to if the returns had been accurately prepared.
The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul S. Becker. It was investigated by IRS-Criminal Investigation.
