Darby man pleads guilty to preparing false tax returns

PHILADELPHIA >> A Darby Borough man pleaded guilty to aiding and assisting in the preparation of fraudulent tax returns for his clients, a scheme that cost the government more than $175,000.

Mohamed Waritay, 41, entered pleas to a two-count information, Acting U.S. Attorney Louis D. Lappen announced Monday.

According to court documents, the charges arose from Waritay’s scheme, which included tax years 2009 through 2014, in which he placed materially false items on the fraudulent tax returns such as inflated deductions, bogus tax credit amounts and fictitious dependent identities. The inflated deductions included itemized deductions such as gifts to charity, medical expenses and unreimbursed employee expenses on IRS Form 2106.

Waritay also placed bogus tax credit amounts on the fraudulent tax returns related to education and residential energy credits, and falsely documented dependents by placing the biographical information of unrelated children on his clients’ returns, in order to defraud the United States government.

Waritay’s scheme caused a

tax loss to the United States in the amount of approximately $175,939.00.

Additionally, during the course of the IRS investigation into Waritay’s conduct, Waritay met with one of his clients twice prior to that client’s scheduled interview with IRS agents. During those meetings, Waritay instructed his client to lie and provide false statements to IRS agents conducting the client’s interview in a corrupt effort to impede the investigation.

The defendant faces a maximum possible sentence of six years imprisonment, as well as three years supervised release, a $200,000 fine and a $200 special assessment fee.

The case was investigated by Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigations and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric L. Gibson.