A Southfield tax preparer has pleaded guilty to 10 felonies in connection with filing false tax returns for clients.
At a hearing June 1 in Oakland County Circuit Court, Lori Bradford, 55, opted out of trial scheduled for next month, pleading to four counts of uttering and publishing, three counts of using a computer to commit a crime and three counts of making/permitting false tax returns.
According to the Attorney General’s Office, Bradford prepared and filed tax returns with false statements and false claims for refunds by inflating withholding amounts. That led to larger refunds for clients.
Bradford also provided bogus W2s and other supporting documents to the Michigan Department of Treasury when it questioned the returns and attempted to verify their accuracy, the AG’s Office stated.
Bradford, who pleaded guilty as a four-time habitual offender, had initially been charged with 43 crimes related to falsifying tax returns for at least 15 people. Several of those charges were dismissed by the Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office.
Sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 7 by Judge Jeffery Matis. Of the crimes Bradford has admitted to, uttering and publishing carries the highest penalty — up to 14 years in prison.
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