Former North Dakota Tax Preparer Pleads Guilty to Preparing False Returns for Clients

A former North Dakota man pleaded guilty today to five counts of preparing false tax returns for clients.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Joseph Korha, currently of Minneapolis, worked as a tax return preparer for a business located in Phoenix, Arizona. In 2019, Korha prepared and submitted more than 100 fraudulent returns for clients, many of whom resided in the Fargo area. Korha claimed false tax credits and fictitious business profits and losses on these returns, which inflated his clients’ tax refunds. In total, Korha caused a tax loss to the IRS of approximately $294,000.

Korha is scheduled to be sentenced on June 3. He faces a maximum penalty of three years in prison for each count of filing a false tax return. He also faces a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Mac Schneider for the District of North Dakota made the announcement.

IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.

Trial Attorney Dominick Giovanniello of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan Healy for the District of North Dakota are prosecuting the case.