Luckner Stimphil — a former pastor at Tampa’s First Calvary Family Life Ministry — and his daughter, Elwolfine Dufort, have pleaded guilty to organizing a tax fraud scheme that cost the government more than $11 million.
A release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office Middle District of Florida says that a sentencing date has not been set, but they each face five years in federal prison.
The pair hoodwinked the feds as part of the tax prep work they did at Top Popular Tax, a business Stimphil opened in 2011 (it was closed by 2016). Dufort worked under his supervision in preparing clients’ tax forms, but an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service found that many of those forms contained false information about business income and tax credits.
In a plea agreement, Stimphil has agreed to pay all taxes, interest and penalties found to be owed and due to the IRS relating to his personal 2012 and 2013 tax returns. He and his daughter are also barred from ever preparing taxes again.
Kind of makes your scared to write off all of those meals now, huh?
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This article appears in Feb 28 – Mar 7, 2019.