Whitewater tax preparer Mauricio Castaneda was recently charged with theft and filing 340 false tax returns, according to NBC15. A criminal complaint alleges Castaneda helped customers file tax returns at El Nevado Taxes in Whitewater.
Customers would receive refunds for Wisconsin income taxes withheld; Casteneda would reportedly file fake returns with customers’ W-2 wage statements previously used to receive refunds. He used different identification numbers and added fake spouses to increase refunds and credits. The 340 fake returns were ultimately attempting to defraud a total of around $331,656 from the state.Â
Casteneda’s scheduled initial court appearance is Sept. 19 in Walworth County Circuit Court. He could face up to 70 years in prison, $125,000 in fines, or both if he is convicted on all counts.
