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Tax Preparer Indicted On Fraud Charges

A Silver City tax preparer already serving prison time has been indicted for allegedly filing more than $72,000 in fake tax returns.  A grand jury for the First Judicial District Attorney's Office in Santa Fe returned the indictment against Douglas Jeffrey Kuester on 28 counts of tax fraud and 28 counts of embezzlement.

The 44-year-old Kuester allegedly stole the identities of 18 New Mexico residents to file returns claiming non-existent withholdings from oil and gas proceeds.

Authorities say Kuester filed 18 fraudulent tax returns in 2010 and 10 more in 2011. He allegedly used different bank accounts and prepaid debit cards to deposit the returns.

Last November, Kuester was sentenced to four years in prison for filing false federal claims and aggravated identity theft in an Albuquerque federal district court.

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press.