FEMA Employee Indicted For Allegedly Preparing Fraudulent Tax Returns For Herself, 11 Clients
GREENBELT, Md. (WJZ) -- A federal grand jury has indicted a U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency employee for allegedly preparing fraudulent tax returns for herself and 11 clients.
Shanta Johnson, 43, of Germantown, Maryland, was indicted on the federal charges of aiding and assisting in the filing of false tax returns and subscribing to false tax returns.
The indictment was returned on July 13, and was unsealed on Friday at Johnson's initial appearance in court.
According to the indictment, Johnson, who is a program analyst at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency, prepared false and fraudulent tax returns from her home, as well as her workplace.
Johnson allegedly prepared fraudulent tax returns for 11 clients for tax years 2014 and 2015.
According to the indictment, Johnson reported inflated or fictitious deductions for gifts to charity and unreimbursed employee expenses; false profits or losses to either inflate or reduce her clients' earned income; and entirely fictitious expenses for educational institutions her clients had not attended.
The indictment also alleges that Johnson did not report the money she received from preparing clients' tax returns on her own tax returns and she falsely reported net business losses to reduce her own reported income.
If convicted, Johnson faces a maximum sentence of three years in federal prison for each of the 18 counts of aiding and assisting in the filing of a false tax return; and subscribing to a false tax return.
