ORLANDO, Fla. – Federal authorities have arrested the owners and employees of a Central Florida tax preparation company on charges of filing fraudulent tax returns for clients between 2017 and 2020, according to court documents.
Neighborhood Advance Tax, which operated across nine strip mall locations in Central Florida, was the focus of a News 6 investigation after customers who initially received large tax refunds were audited by the IRS and required to repay their refunds.
Last month, company owners Franklin Carter, Emmanuel Almonor, and Jonathan Carrillo were indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of conspiring to defraud the United States. The grand jury also indicted tax preparers Abryle De La Cruz, Isaiah Hayes, Diandre Mentor, and Adon Hemley.
According to the now-defunct company website, Neighborhood Advance Tax charged customers up to $999 for tax preparation services while promising to secure them the “maximum refund.” Prosecutors allege that the defendants inflated refunds for customers by fraudulently claiming deductions, such as unreimbursed employee expenses and charitable donations.
The indictment claims that the operators of Neighborhood Advance Tax developed a training manual instructing tax preparers on how to artificially inflate customers’ refunds without raising flags with the IRS. Tax preparers were also allegedly trained to avoid disclosing fraudulently prepared documents to clients.
Brice Aikens, Carrillo’s attorney, stated, “We have faith in the jury system and legal process and will remain patient until this matter is resolved. My client maintains his innocence, and we are confident that once all the facts are presented in a court of law, my client will be exonerated.” The other defendants were not immediately available for comment.
Following the reporting of customer complaints by News 6 in 2020, Neighborhood Advance Tax was reportedly sold to a new owner and underwent a name change.
The IRS provides guidance on its website for selecting a qualified tax preparer and warns against “ghost” preparers who fail to sign tax returns or omit a Preparer Tax Identification Number (PTIN). The agency encourages taxpayers to file a complaint if a tax preparer attempts to inflate refunds by creating false exemptions or omitting income.
