FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
22 August 2008

Owner of Beaufort tax service charged with fraud

South Carolina Department of Revenue investigators and Beaufort County sheriff's deputies arrested the owner of a Beaufort bookkeeping and tax service today and charged her with multiple counts of tax fraud.

Sally S. Berry, 64, owner of Berry's Bookkeeping and Tax Service, is being held at the Beaufort County Detention Center pending a bond hearing. Berry was charged with two counts of assisting in the preparation of a fraudulent tax return and eight counts of failing to remit tax payments.

Berry is accused of filing fraudulent sales tax returns understating the amount of tax owed by her clients. She also is accused of failing to remit to the Department of Revenue the sales tax and withholding tax paid to her by clients. The DOR investigation showed the clients were unaware of Berry's activities and no additional arrests are anticipated.

Berry is facing up to 34 years in prison and fines of up to $41,000 if convicted of  the charges.

###