Hildale couple sentenced in federal court for filing false tax returns

A couple from Hildale was sentenced in federal court Tuesday for filing false tax returns.

Alma and Denver Barlow will spend up to 2 years in prison each.

According to court documents, the couple posed as legitimate tax return preparers from 2009 to 2014, but during that time they filed over 700 false tax returns for themselves and for hundreds of unknowing clients, ultimately claiming over $9.7 million in false refunds from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

“In furtherance of their conspiracy, the defendants added false entries to tax returns to trigger the Earned Income Tax Credit or added false figures for federal income tax withholdings, Form 1099-OID income tax withholdings, or Schedule C business expenses in order to fraudulently increase the amount of the claimed refunds,” a press release from the United States Department of Justice stated.

In addition to the prison sentence, they were ordered to each serve three years of supervised release, and to pay over $5.3 million in restitution to the United States.

Story provided by our news partners at ABC 4 News.