Long Island Tax Preparer Convicted in IRS Fraud Scheme

The indictment alleges that Saintilien used fictitious business expenses, fabricated losses, and false fuel tax credits to inflate his clients' refunds. He secretly diverted portions of these improper refunds to himself in many instances, prosecutors said.

Saintilien faces up to 54 years in prison and financial penalties upon sentencing. The broader scheme is estimated by prosecutors to have cost the federal government more than $1 million.

The defendant operates a business at Elmont Highway in Elmont, New York, where he prepared tax returns for clients from 2019 through 2023, covering tax years 2018 to 2022. U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella Jr. stated that Saintilien is "a serial fraudster who was masquerading as a tax preparer."