COLUMBIA, S.C. (WACH) — The regional manager of a tax prep business in Columbia has pleaded guilty to defrauding the U.S. by preparing and filing false tax returns, leading to an IRS tax loss of over $420,000, according to the US District Attorney's Office.

Officials say Georgina Gonzalez could receive several years in prison after officials say she conspired with others to inflate client tax refunds by preparing false claims.

Gonzalez and her co-conspirators reportedly charged nearly $1,000 to prepare client returns, and these returns often claimed, among other things, business losses, household help income, and American Opportunity and education tax credits.

According to records, Gonzalez, who's originally from Miami, worked as a tax return preparer since at least 2013, relocating to Columbia to manage multiple tax locations for the 2016 and 2017 filing seasons.

Sentencing will be scheduled at a later date, with Gonzalez facing a maximum sentence of five years in prison, as well as a period of supervised release, restitution, and other monetary penalties.

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