Anne Arundel County Circuit Court Judge Sentences Woman to Suspended Prison Term, Probation for Filing False Tax Returns

Maryland Attorney General Brian E. Frosh today announced that Jessica L. Taylor, 37, of Upper Marlboro, was convicted of two counts of filing a false income tax return.  Anne Arundel County Circuit Court Judge Laura S. Ripken sentenced Taylor to 18 months in prison, all suspended, and five years probation.  As a condition of her probation, Taylor is prohibited from acting as a tax preparer.  Judge Ripken also ordered Taylor to pay $26,000.00 in restitution to the State.

For several years, Taylor, who was not a registered tax preparer in Maryland, prepared and filed state income tax returns, for a fee, on behalf of numerous Maryland residents. Many of the Maryland tax returns Taylor filed on behalf of her clients included false information, which reduced their Maryland tax liabilities and improperly increased their state tax refunds by $26,000.

The case was investigated jointly by the Comptroller of Maryland’s Field Enforcement Division and the Maryland State Police.  The case was prosecuted by the Criminal Investigations Division of the Maryland Attorney General’s Office.