A former tax return preparation business owner was indicted by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Kan., for aiding and assisting in the preparation and presentation of false income tax returns, making a false bankruptcy declaration, false testimony under oath in connection with a bankruptcy matter and unlawful procurement of citizenship or naturalization announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Caroline D. Ciraolo, head of the Justice Department’s Tax Division, and acting U.S. Attorney Thomas E. Beall of the District of Kansas.
According to the indictment filed on Sept. 7 and unsealed today, Geoffrey Rotich owned and operated Inventax, a tax return preparation business in Shawnee, Kan.
The indictment alleges that Rotich prepared false and fraudulent tax returns for other individuals, claiming false deductions for medical and dental expenses and false education expenses. The indictment further alleges that, in connection with a Chapter 11 bankruptcy case, Rotich made false declarations in his bankruptcy petition and related schedules and made false statements under oath during a meeting of creditors. The indictment also alleges that Rotich obtained naturalization and citizenship to which he was not entitled on the basis of false representations on his application for naturalization.
If convicted, Rotich faces a statutory maximum sentence of three years in prison for each of the tax counts, a statutory maximum sentence of five years in prison for each of the bankruptcy counts and a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in prison for the naturalization count. Rotich also faces a period of supervised release and monetary penalties.
An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed. Defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Ciraolo and acting U.S. Attorney Beall commended the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security investigators and the U.S. Trustee’s Office in Wichita, who conducted the investigation and Trial Attorney John T. Mulcahy of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney D. Christopher Oakley of the District of Kansas, who are prosecuting the case.