Date: January 31, 2023 Contact: newsroom@ci.irs.gov Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Joleen D. Simpson, Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation in New England, today announced that a federal grand jury in New Haven has returned a 25-count indictment charging David Etienne, of Norwich, with tax fraud offenses. The indictment was returned on January 25, 2023. Etienne appeared yesterday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Maria E. Garcia in New Haven and pleaded not guilty. He is released on a $100,000 bond pending trial. As alleged in the indictment, Etienne operated as a tax return preparer through several businesses, including Los Maestros Inc, Los Maestros Group, Tax Experts USA, and Tax Experts USA Inc. For the 2015 through 2019 tax years, Etienne prepared numerous federal tax returns for clients that included false expenses and losses in connection with sole proprietorship businesses when he knew the taxpayers had not operated sole proprietorship businesses, false unreimbursed employee expenses, and, in certain instances, false medical, dental or education-related expenses. The indictment charges Etienne with 25 counts of aiding and assisting in the preparation of false income tax returns, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of three years on each count. U.S. Attorney Avery stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. This investigation is being conducted by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer R. Laraia and Lauren C. Clark.
