OCOEE, Fla. — An Ocoee resident has been sentenced to three years in federal prison for running a fraudulent tax preparation business.
A judge ordered James Fednor Meristin to pay the Internal Revenue Service $2,338,675 in restitution. On May 6, Meristin pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud the United States.
“Filing false tax returns is stealing from the U.S. government,” said Special Agent in Charge Ron Loecker of the IRS Criminal Investigation Tampa Field Office.
Meristin and his co-conspirators ran Kings and Queens Multi Services from 2019 to 2023, preparing and filing false tax returns to maximize refunds. They claimed unentitled COVID sick and family leave credits, charging up to $20,000 per return.
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