Federal prosecutors say Burbank tax preparer bilked IRS of $6.3M

September 20, 2011|By Jason Wells, jason.wells@latimes.com

A federal judge this week ordered a Burbank tax preparer who allegedly bilked the IRS of roughly $6.3 million to cease operations.

U.S. District Judge Jacqueline H. Nguyen issued the permanent injunction Monday after federal prosecutors alleged that Anthony R. Loya, owner of Anthony R. Loya & Associates at 1303 W. Magnolia Blvd., understated taxes on 3,294 returns by $6.32 million — or about $1,920 per return.

Loya, who denied the charges on Tuesday, said the injunction would not impact the five other tax preparers at his office, and that he would continue to serve in a managerial capacity.

“It only affects me personally,” he said, adding that all the information used for his tax returns was supplied by his clients either verbally or on paper.

Nguyen warned Loya that if he violates the permanent injunction, “he may be subject to civil and criminal sanctions for contempt of court, including imprisonment,” according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Though not accredited by the Better Business Bureau, the organization issued Loya’s business an F-grade after determining responses to several customer complaints were inadequate, including one in which a client claimed a preparer purposely decreased her tax liability despite her warnings.

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