Tucson income tax preparer found guilty on 22 counts of filing false federal income tax returns

Date: Oct. 6, 2026

Contact: newsroom@ci.irs.gov

Tucson, AZ – Yesterday, Darlene Musgrove of Tucson, Arizona, a paid income tax preparer, was found guilty on 22 counts of preparing false federal income tax returns for her clients without their knowledge. Sentencing is scheduled for Feb. 23, 2027, before the Honorable Raner C. Collins, United States District Court Judge. 

At trial, twelve of Musgrove’s clients testified that they did not have the deductions that she included on their tax returns and were not aware of the false deductions. They also testified that the refunds they received when Musgrove prepared their returns were larger than they had received in the past. The government alleged at trial that Musgrove’s intent was to acquire larger refunds for her clients so she could secure repeat business.

The total tax loss from the twenty-two false tax returns filed with the Internal Revenue Service is approximately $127,166.

A conviction for the aiding and assisting in the preparation and presentation of false federal income tax returns carries a maximum penalty of three years imprisonment and a fine of $100,000, or both. 

IRS-Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson, is handling the prosecution.

IRS-CI is the law enforcement arm of the IRS, responsible for conducting financial crime investigations, including tax fraud, narcotics trafficking, money laundering, public corruption, healthcare fraud, identity theft and more. It is the only federal law enforcement agency with investigative jurisdiction over violations of the Internal Revenue Code. IRS-CI has 16 field offices located across the U.S. and maintains an international presence through attaché posts abroad.