IRS: Scottsdale woman sentenced to prison for tax return scheme
Posted 1/28/21
On Jan. 25, Jana Leigh Meincke was sentenced to 21 months in prison and ordered to pay $2,211,304 in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service, officials say.
You must be a member to read this story.
Join our family of readers for as little as $5 per month and support local, unbiased journalism.
Current print subscribers can create a free account by clicking here
Otherwise, follow the link below to join.
To Our Valued Readers –
Visitors to our website will be limited to five stories per month unless they opt to subscribe. The five stories do not include our exclusive content written by our journalists.
For $6.99, less than 20 cents a day, digital subscribers will receive unlimited access to YourValley.net, including exclusive content from our newsroom and access to our Daily Independent e-edition.
Our commitment to balanced, fair reporting and local coverage provides insight and perspective not found anywhere else.
Your financial commitment will help to preserve the kind of honest journalism produced by our reporters and editors. We trust you agree that independent journalism is an essential component of our democracy. Please click here to subscribe.
Need to set up your free e-Newspaper all-access account? click here.
Non-subscribers
Click here to see your options for becoming a subscriber.
Register to comment
Click here create a free account for posting comments.
Note that free accounts do not include access to premium content on this site.
I am anchor
Crime
IRS: Scottsdale woman sentenced to prison for tax return scheme
Posted
A Scottsdale woman was sentenced to nearly two years in prison and pay more than $2 million in restitution after being sentenced in a case of filing fraudulent tax returns.
Jana Leigh Meincke was sentenced to 21 months in prison and ordered to pay $2,211,304 in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service on Jan. 25, officials say.
Ms. Meincke was remanded into federal custody immediately after her sentence, a press release stated.
Ms. Meincke previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to violate Title 26, U.S. Code, Section 7206(2) — aiding, assisting, or advising taxpayers in preparing and filing fraudulent tax returns.
In August 2020, co-conspirator Thomas Rampetsreiter was sentenced to 24 months in prison, the press release stated.
Ms. Meincke was involved in a scheme with others to create fake entities for clients, the IRS press release stated.
She reportedly did business at various times as Scottsdale Tax Solutions, Arizona Tax Tune Up, Lawton Prep Work GP, R & R Tax Prep Group GP, Just Tax Services GP, Just Tax Service LLC, Tax Services Unlimited, 1st Choice Tax Solutions, Rapido Choice LLC, Assurance Concierge Inc., Rapido Express Acquisition Company Hola GP, JLM Agency, Just Tax Services at Mirage, and Brooks and Field.
The scheme included fabricating expenses, deductions, and losses for the fake entities to understate or eliminate a client’s taxable income.
Clients ended up paying far less than their legal share of taxes and many received large, fraudulent refunds, the press release stated.
Ms. Meincke would earn commissions and fees based on how much money she and others fraudulently reduced a client’s tax liability.
“This was an egregious scheme involving the creation of fictitious businesses and the fabrication of deductions to obtain fraudulent tax refunds from the United States Treasury,” stated IRS-Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge Ismael Nevarez Jr. “Investigating the filing of fraudulent tax returns continues to be one of IRS-CI’s top priorities.”
IRS Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, handled the prosecution.