Uncredentialed Ohio tax preparer guilty on 10 counts

A Columbus, Ohio, man was found guilty yesterday of 10 counts of preparing false tax returns.

Tax preparer Neville Lyimo had been charged with 27 counts of tax fraud involving 17 clients. He was tried on only 17 of those counts in U.S. District Court in Columbus. A jury took about six hours over two days to determine a verdict in the six-day trial.

Lyimo operated Netask Tax Service from 2003 to 2007 and catered to African-immigrant clients.

Internal Revenue Service investigators said Lyimo had gotten fat tax refunds for clients by exaggerating their charitable contributions, business expenses and personal-property taxes, listing false exemptions and adding false credits for education, children and dependent care.

Last week’s trial was the second for Lyimo. His first trial, on all 27 counts, began in September, but on the second day, he agreed to plead guilty to one count as part of a plea deal.

In December, he withdrew his guilty plea, setting in motion the second trial.

His attorney, Derek A. Farmer, argued during the trial that Lyimo had relied on information from clients when he filled out their tax returns.

Lyimo remains out on bond pending his sentencing, for which a date has not been set. He could be sentenced to three years in prison and fined $100,000 on each count.

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