Lakeland tax preparer sentenced to more than seven years in federal prison

Date: Dec. 19, 2025

Contact: newsroom@ci.irs.gov

Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge Virginia Covington has sentenced George Tucker, Jr. to seven years and six months in federal prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aiding and assisting in the filing of false and fraudulent tax returns. As part of his sentence, the court also entered an order of forfeiture in the amount of $1,354,757.64, the proceeds of the criminal conduct, and restitution in the amount of $15,028,309.89 to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Tucker entered a guilty plea on December 2, 2024.

According to court documents, beginning in March 2021, and continuing through February 2024, Tucker engaged in a scheme to defraud the IRS. Tucker prepared or assisted in the preparation of 316 false and fraudulent tax returns for 196 taxpayers, including himself, for tax years 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023. The tax returns contained falsified Schedules A, B, 1, and 3, as well as fraudulent Forms W-2G, which contained fabricated figures for gambling winnings and losses, and federal tax withholding amounts (based on the fake gambling winnings). The false tax returns requested substantial refunds from the IRS that the taxpayers were not legally entitled to receive.

The total intended tax loss from the tax returns Tucker prepared was $59,941,751. The actual loss totaled $15,028,309.89, which the IRS paid out to taxpayers, including Tucker, either as tax refunds or credits applied to prior debts. Tucker personally profited $1,354,757.64 in the form of payments from his taxpayer-clients or refunds he received directly from the IRS. Tucker used the fraud proceeds to enrich himself, including buying expensive jewelry.

"These defendants spent their days looking for ways to cheat. Those who deliberately exploit our tax system for personal gain will face serious consequences," said Special Agent in Charge Ron Loecker of the IRS Criminal Investigation Florida Field Office. "These prosecutions reflect the dedication of our agents to protecting honest taxpayers and upholding justice for all Americans."

This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jennifer Peresie and Ross Roberts.

IRS Criminal Investigation (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. IRS-CI special agents are the only federal law enforcement agents with investigative jurisdiction over violations of the Internal Revenue Code, obtaining a 90% federal conviction rate. The agency has 19 field offices located across the U.S. and 14 attaché posts abroad.