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ALBANY---Two New York City women involved in the preparation of false New York State personal income tax returns have been indicted. The false returns, prepared at Gypsy Travel in Ridgewood, Queens, resulted in improper state tax refunds, according to the attorney general's office.
Briseida Christopher, 65, of Brooklyn, owner of Gypsy Travel, and Juana De Castro, 52, of Woodhaven, a tax preparer, were both arraigned in Albany County Court before Judge Dan Lamont.
The indictment charges Christopher and De Castro with multiple counts of offering a false instrument for filing in the first degree, a class E felony, and one count of the Tax Law crime of aiding or assisting in the giving of fraudulent personal income tax returns, also a class E felony. Both crimes are punishable by up to four years in jail.
Bail was set at $50,000 for each defendant.
The indictment alleges that during a period between Jan. 1, 2003, and April 15, 2005, De Castro and Christopher filed fraudulent New York State personal income tax returns for clients and for themselves. In addition, the pair allegedly surreptitiously charged clients additional tax preparation fees, sometimes as much as $600, through a refund anticipation loan. Between Jan. 1, 2003, and Dec. 31, 2005, Gypsy Travel allegedly earned approximately $585,000 from these fees. 2-23-07
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© 2007 North
Country Gazette
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