NEWS RELEASE

SOUTH CAROLINA

DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE

Public Affairs Office

Contact: Danny Brazell

Phone: (803) 898-5464

Email: brazeld@sctax.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 22, 2005

Lake City tax preparer charge with tax fraud

            A Lake City tax preparer is being held at the Florence County Detention Center today after South Carolina Department of Revenue investigators charged her with preparing fraudulent tax returns.

            Sadie Elmore, 35, owner of Elmore’s Tax Service, 422 Maxie Thomas Road, is charged with six counts of preparing fraudulent income tax returns. She is facing up to 30 years in prison and fines of up to $60,000 if convicted of all the charges.

            Elmore is accused of exaggerating the amount of deductions and tax credits on returns she prepared for clients in 2002 and 2003. Taxpayers interviewed during the Department’s investigation said they were unaware Elmore had falsified the information on their returns and no further arrests are expected.

            Elmore is the second tax preparer arrested this month on charges of preparing fraudulent state income tax returns. Ricky Williams, a Spartanburg tax preparer, was arrested April 14 on 10 counts of preparing fraudulent income tax returns. His case is pending.