Utah accountant accused of $400-million tax scheme

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A Utah-based certified public accountant accused of seeking nearly $400 million in fraudulent tax refunds has been permanently barred from preparing tax returns for others, the Justice Department announced Friday. The U.S. attorney’s office accused accountant Dick R. Jenkins of filing at least 20 bogus returns that sought more than $393 million in refunds. He sought a $210-million fraudulent refund for one customer and a $402,000 refund for himself, the Justice Department said in a news release. The U.S. Treasury paid more than $294,000 in refunds to Jenkins’ customers before the fraud was uncovered, the Justice Department said. U.S. District Judge Dale A. Kimball said the permanent injunction was necessary, “given the sheer brazenness of Jenkins’ conduct. He is essentially stealing from the U.S. Treasury.” --Stuart Pfeifer