Florida Tax Preparer Gets 4+ Years for Return Fraud

TAMPA -- A Tampa pastor has agreed never to prepare anyone else's taxes, work for a tax preparer, or show anyone how to file a tax return after being sentenced to prison for tax fraud.

The U.S. Attorney's Office says Luckner Stimphil, 55, of Brandon has been sentenced to four years and nine months in federal prison. His daughter, 31-year-old Elwoline Dufort, was sentenced to two years in prison a week earlier. Both will have to pay $11,000,000 in restitution as well as a $10,000 fine. They pled guilty to charges last February.

The feds say Stimphil, when he was pastor at First Calvary Family Life Ministry in Tampa, ran a business called Top Popular Tax, with offices in Tampa, Winter Haven, and other locations. They filed false Schedule C (business income and expenses) forms, as well as fraudulent claims for tax and fuel credits.

The father-daughter team's clients are still left with cleaning up the mess associated with those false returns and paying what they may owe.

Photo Credit: Getty Images


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