The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) on Thursday announced the indictment of a tax preparer in Memphis for her alleged role in filing fraudulent tax returns. She is also accused of tampering with witnesses and attempting to evade the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) ‘s efforts to block her access to its systems.
According to a DOJ press release, a federal grand jury returned an indictment accusing Selma Brinson, 64, of using her Memphis tax preparation business “to report false items on clients’ tax returns to generate inflated tax refunds.”
Brinson is accused of falsely claiming fuel tax credits, residential energy credits, and “other false items,” and being compensated with “hundreds of thousands of dollars in client fees,” in exchange for her role in completing fraudulent tax returns.
After she learned her activities were under investigation, the DOJ claims Brinson “encouraged at least two of her clients to tell federal investigators they did not recall their interactions with her,” resulting in the witness tampering charges.
When the IRS blocked her access to its electronic filing system, “she allegedly instructed a family member to apply for a new electronic filing number and then used that number to continue preparing and filing false tax returns with the IRS.”
The indictment includes 24 counts of aiding and assisting the preparation of false tax returns and two counts of witness intimidation. According to the DOJ, Brinson could face 3 years in prison for each tax charge and 20 years for each witness tampering charge if convicted.
The indictment against Brinson came only weeks after the DOJ reported another Tennessee tax preparer pleaded guilty to defrauding the government of about $80 million in pandemic relief funding.
Renata Walton, who the DOJ described as a resident of Mississippi who owned and operated a tax preparation business in Moscow, Tennessee, pleaded guilty after being accused of conspiring with an employee to file fraudulent tax returns that allowed taxpayers to incorrectly receive the Employee Retention Credit (ERC), as well as false Payment Protection Program (PPP) loans meant for small businesses, and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) funding meant for Americans who experienced hardship during the pandemic.
Walton reportedly received a $15,000 fee for each fraudulent return filed by her company.
The federal government estimated in 2023 it was defrauded out of as much as $135 billion through various financial assistance programs created during the pandemic.
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Tom Pappert is a 2025 recipient of the Dao Prize and the lead reporter for The Tennessee Star. He also reports for the Star News Network. Follow Tom on X. Email tips to [email protected].
