LV woman indicted in tax fraud

Friday, July 15, 2005 | 10 a.m.

A federal grand jury on Wednesday indicted a Las Vegas woman on 34 counts of falsifying tax returns for 20 people.

Sharon Carter operated a tax preparation business from her home in the 7400 block of West Dewey Drive.

The indictment, announced Wednesday, charges Carter with knowingly filing false tax returns by claiming the individuals she filed for were entitled to claim deductions such as charitable donations, according to the indictment.

The indictment did not state whether the individuals she prepared tax returns for were involved in the alleged scheme, but only Carter was indicted.

It is not uncommon, however, for individuals to conduct scams similar to the one Carter is accused of, said Mercedes Manzur, special agent in the Internal Revenue Service's special investigation department.

"A lot of times people don't know" that their tax returns are prepared fraudulently, she said. "People are often unsophisticated, so they get bilked."

She said people should be suspicious if their tax preparer asks for a percentage of the tax return, asks them to put false statements on a tax return or asks them to sign a tax return before it is complete.