Attorney General Anthony G. Brown announced that Funso Posi Timothy, 60, of Lanham, Prince George’s County, Maryland, pleaded guilty to and was convicted of two counts of filing false tax returns.
The Honorable Richard R. Trunnell of the Circuit Court for Anne Arundel County sentenced Timothy to three years of incarceration, all suspended in favor of five years of supervised probation. As a condition of probation, Timothy was ordered to pay $18,422 in restitution to the Comptroller.
Timothy was registered to prepare tax returns in Maryland and owned and operated Romaft Taxes, a tax preparation service, from his residence in Lanham. For tax year 2021, Timothy filed numerous tax returns with the Comptroller of Maryland for Maryland residents.
Several of those tax returns included false information that unlawfully increased the refunds remitted, evaded the tax due, and caused a loss to the State.
“When tax preparers knowingly submit fraudulent returns, they divert funds that support critical public services—from educating our children to keeping our communities safe,” said Attorney General Brown.
“Our office will not hesitate to hold accountable those who abuse the tax system and undermine the resources Marylanders depend on.” “My agency is laser-focused on protecting hard-working Marylanders from tax fraud, including from dishonest tax preparers,” Comptroller Brooke E. Lierman said.
“Our Questionable Return Detection Team and Field Enforcement Bureau employ advanced technologies and their investigative skills to identify suspicious returns and protect personal information. Our prosecution of these cases demonstrates we will do all we can to end this type of deceitful and destructive behavior.”
As a special condition of probation, he is prohibited from filing tax returns for others while he is on probation.
In making today’s announcement, Attorney General Brown thanked his Criminal Division, specifically Division Chief Katie Dorian, Fraud and Corruption Unit Chief Alex Huggins, and Assistant Attorney General Warren Davis, who prosecuted this case. Attorney General Brown also thanked Comptroller of Maryland Brooke E. Lierman and her Field Enforcement Bureau, who investigated the case. Finally, Attorney General Brown also thanked State’s Attorney for Anne Arundel County Anne Colt Leitess for her assistance with this prosecution.
