FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 27, 2012

Anderson tax preparer arrested on tax charges

An Anderson County tax preparer was arrested today by South Carolina Department of Revenue investigators and charged with multiple counts of preparing fraudulent income tax returns.

Christopher Tyrone Lee, a self-employed tax preparer, is being held at the Anderson County Detention Center pending a bond hearing. He is charged with 12 counts of preparing fraudulent income tax returns, four counts of tax evasion and one count of obtaining property by false pretenses.

Lee, 45, is accused of preparing income tax returns for his clients that included more than $123,000 in false deductions such as medical expenses, employee business expenses, charitable contributions and fictitious business losses. For 2010, Lee is accused of causing a client’s state income tax refund to be directly deposited into Lee’s own personal bank account.

On his personal income tax returns, Lee displayed the same pattern of false deductions during tax years 2007 through 2010. Lee is accused of attempting to evade over $9,200 in state income taxes for that period.

If convicted, Lee could face up to five years in prison for each of the felony tax charges and/or up to $47,000 in fines.

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