Detroit Tax Firm BUSTED! Justice Prevails Against Fraud

Last Friday, a federal court in Michigan dropped the hammer on Detroit-area tax preparers Alicia Bishop and Tenisha Green, permanently barring them from ever preparing federal tax returns again. This ruling comes hot on the heels of similar judgments against their colleagues Alicia Qualls, Michael Turner, and Constance Stewart, all tied to the shady outfit United Tax Team Inc. These crooks thought they could game the system, but justice caught up. It’s a win for every hardworking American who plays by the rules and pays their fair share.

The Department of Justice didn’t stop there. United Tax Team itself, along with its founder Glen Hurst, got slapped with a permanent injunction back in December 2024. Hurst built this operation from the ground up in 2016, hiring preparers who churned out fraudulent returns like it was a factory line. This isn’t just a local scandal; it’s a glaring example of why we need relentless enforcement to protect taxpayers from predators who exploit the system for profit.

Court documents paint a grim picture. These preparers didn’t just bend the rules; they shattered them. Qualls, Bishop, Green, Turner, and Stewart allegedly stuffed tax returns with fake deductions, fabricated businesses, and bogus credits, all without their clients’ knowledge. Need a Schedule C business to slash your taxable income? They’d invent one. Want education credits or COVID-19 relief you don’t qualify for? They’d hook you up. It’s a textbook case of fraud, plain and simple.

Take Bishop and Green, for instance. They conjured up education expenses out of thin air to snag tax credits. Stewart and Bishop claimed COVID-19 relief for clients who never earned it, while Qualls and Turner fudged head-of-household statuses to shrink tax bills. Stewart even cooked up child care expenses that never existed. This wasn’t sloppy bookkeeping; it was a calculated heist, siphoning billions from the Treasury over the years, according to IRS estimates.

Who pays the price for this deceit? Honest taxpayers do. When fraudsters like these inflate refunds or dodge liabilities, the burden shifts to the rest of us. The IRS has tracked over $10 billion in attempted COVID-related tax fraud alone since 2020, with more than 1,000 indictments by February 2025. That’s money meant for struggling families and businesses, not scam artists buying luxury cars. Every fake deduction drives up deficits and threatens the programs we rely on.

Clients got burned too. Many had no clue their returns were rigged until the IRS came knocking with audits, penalties, or worse. Civil fraud penalties can hit 75% of understated taxes, and criminal fines reach $100,000 for individuals. Identity theft risks pile on the misery, leaving victims tangled in red tape. The Justice Department’s crackdown isn’t just punishment; it’s a lifeline for those duped by preparers they trusted.

Some argue the feds are too harsh, that injunctions ruin livelihoods over honest mistakes. Nonsense. These aren’t slip-ups; they’re deliberate schemes. The IRS and DOJ have secured 132 permanent injunctions since 2003, targeting preparers who fake businesses, inflate expenses, or peddle tax shelters. Each case saves taxpayers millions and sends a loud message: cheat, and you’re done. The IRS boasts a 97.4% conviction rate in COVID fraud cases, proving enforcement isn’t just talk.

History backs this up. After the 2011 push to regulate preparers flopped in court, the IRS doubled down on penalties and injunctions. Fraudulent filings dropped where crackdowns hit hardest. Contrast that with lax oversight during the early CARES Act rollout, when $10 billion vanished to scams. Strong action works; hand-wringing doesn’t. Taxpayers deserve preparers who follow the law, not ones who fleece them blind.

This Michigan takedown is a start, but the fight’s not over. Fraudulent preparers still lurk, preying on folks desperate for a bigger refund. The IRS offers tools like its preparer directory and fraud tips, yet too many taxpayers fall for ghost preparers who vanish after filing junk returns. We need more than warnings; we need a system that roots out bad actors before they strike. Beef up penalties, expand injunctions, and keep the pressure on.

Every dollar lost to tax fraud is a dollar stolen from roads, schools, and national defense. The DOJ’s Tax Division has bagged hundreds of injunctions over the past decade, and that’s a record to build on. Americans aren’t asking for handouts; they’re demanding fairness. Let’s give it to them by locking out these cheats for good.