Gary Tax Return Preparer Sentenced to Prison, Restitution

A Gary man has been sentenced to more than three years in prison after pleading guilty to filing hundreds of fraudulent tax returns. U.S. Attorney Clifford Johnson’s office says Dorian Hall has also been ordered to pay more than $1 million in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service.

According to court documents, Hall operated a tax return preparation business from 2014-2016 where he prepared tax returns for clients. Johnson’s office says Hall fabricated income numbers to maximize the Earned Income Tax Credit and provided false information to obtain a refundable education credit.

As a result, Hall’s clients received more on their tax returns than they were entitled. Additionally, Hall charged a $1,000 fee for preparing each return.

Court documents say Hall filed over 300 fraudulent tax returns, including his own, and received hundreds of thousands of dollars in fees for the returns he filed. He also did not declare that income to the IRS.

Johnson’s office says Hall, who had previously pled guilty to tax charges in 2015, cost taxpayers more than $1 million.

A U.S. District Court judge has sentenced Hall to 39 months in prison, plus one year of supervised release, in addition to the restitution order.