Newsletter february 2026
Volume 26, Number 2
Cheshier Tax Resolution Times
The Frontline Defender for the Distressed Taxpayer
Tax Preparer Heads to Prison for Cheating IRS and Causing $5,000,000 Loss, and Attempted Murder !
Keith Altamirano, a high-volume tax preparer based in Washington state, was found guilty of aiding and assisting in the preparation of false tax returns. Between 2017 and 2021, Altamirano prepared at least 12,000 tax returns. A statistical sampling analysis of tax returns filed by him showed that false entries on customer returns caused more than five million dollars in tax losses to the IRS.
Altamirano falsified returns by listing fake medical expenses, charitable donations, nonexistent vehicles for depreciation, and fabricated or inflated business expenses. To protect himself he omitted his name from filed returns. Clients were unaware of the fraud and believed the inflated refunds were legitimate. Many of his clients, who were not tax literate, faced audits, penalties, and back taxes as a result of the fraudulent filings.
For the sixteen counts he pleaded guilty to, the tax loss totaled $104,518, which Altamirano agreed to repay in restitution. The court ordered him to sell one of four properties he owns to pay that amount.
He was sentenced to 18 months in prison, which will run concurrently with a 135-month sentence handed down after he was convicted of attempted murder and drug charges.
Cleaning Company Owner Commits Tax Fraud!
The owner of a cleaning company in Connecticut, Analia Mountzoures, was found guilty of tax fraud. Mountzoures employed approximately 10 workers and served more than 200 commercial and residential clients. From 2018 through 2023, she paid most employees in cash, failed to report wages to state and federal authorities, did not file required IRS forms, did not issue W-2s, failed to withhold employee taxes, and did not pay federal employment taxes.
In 2023 alone, she reported earnings of $12,095 with $1,450 in taxes, while actual receipts were approximately $628,072 with $96,650 due in taxes.
Mountzoures was ordered to pay $380,167.60 in restitution and was sentenced to three years of probation.
“The United States has a system of taxation by confession.”
U.S. Supreme Court Justice
Hugo Black
Motel Owners Can No Longer Keep the Lights On
Dhruvesh Patel and Mayank Ray, co-owners of a roadway Inn and an Econo Lodge in Atlantic City, admitted to filing false tax returns.
The motels generated significant revenue from customers who paid for rooms in cash. Beginning in 2019 through 2021, Patel and Ray used the money to pay their employees off the books and kept the remaining cash for personal use.
To continue their scheme, the pair caused false employment tax returns to be prepared and filed with the IRS, concealing cash wages paid to workers. They also filed false individual income tax returns that underreported the income they earned from the motels.
Patel admitted responsibility for a tax loss greater than $250,000. Ray acknowledged responsibility for a loss of approximately $129,512.
Both men face a maximum penalty of 5 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000, in addition to restitution.
$127 Million in Cash Not Reported on Tax Returns!
The husband-and-wife owners of multiple precious metals businesses in Los Angeles, Alex and Sam Nguyen, pleaded guilty to concealing millions of dollars in cash transactions from the IRS.
The Nguyens owned and operated four precious metal businesses and received millions in cash from customers, that would automatically trigger reporting requirements under the Bank Secrecy Act. Despite being required to file IRS Form 8300 for cash transactions over $10,000, the couple repeatedly failed to do so.
In February 2020, a buyer purchased 643 ounces of silver, for $11,766. Alex refused to issue a receipt as the customer paid in cash. Later that year, the same buyer made additional purchases in cash that were not reported, culminating in a sale that included a suitcase containing $140,000 in cash, in exchange for 5,118 ounces of silver. The Nguyens reported none of these cash transactions.
The couple received between $200,000 and one million dollars in cash daily, and used the funds to buy precious metals, gamble, and to cover personal expenses.
They failed to file accurate forms on more than 350 occasions involving at least $127,446,066, and often failed to request identification from customers paying in cash. From 2016 through 2020, the Nguyens failed to report income on their tax returns, including $1,535,330 in 2019 alone.
Councilman Turns Cigar Lounge into Kickback Central
Former Newark Councilman Joseph McCallum was found guilty of running a pay-to-play bribery scheme that steered public approvals in exchange for cash, generating $160,000 tied to development deals on Newark’s West Side.
McCallum admitted to coordinating kickbacks, committing wire fraud, and signing a false tax return that concealed $41,000 he received from so-called “smoke room deals” arranged in a local cigar lounge.
The councilman secured board approvals, contracts, permits, and the sale of municipal land for developers seeking projects in the ward he represented. In one deal, McCallum arranged for a development firm to acquire multiple city-owned parcels and accepted $500 as part of a monthly payment while the project moved through the approval process. Once the deal went through, he demanded an additional $100,000.
McCallum also used his position with the Newark Economic Development Corporation, a non-governmental organization intended to promote minority-owned businesses and local jobs, to reassure outside speculators and advance their interests. Developers who refused to pay were frozen out of future projects in McCallum’s district.
He was sentenced to 18 months in prison and one year of supervised release.
Bookkeeper Takes Dealership
for a Ride – Heads to Prison
Notja Brower was found guilty of embezzling more than $250,000 from her employer, and evading over $50,000 in federal taxes.
In 2018, Brower was hired as a bookkeeper and office manager for an Oregon car dealership. Within one month she began issuing herself unauthorized company checks, pocketing thousands of dollars in cash payments, and altering business records to disguise the thefts as expenses and payroll draws.
She also opened a credit card under her boss’ name and charged over $20,000 for travel, casino visits, restaurants, and exotic car rentals. She paid the balance using the company’s checking account, and even paid her rent with the stolen funds.
For tax years 2018 and 2019, Brower failed to report more than $250,000 in stolen funds, owing $57,705 in taxes.
She was sentenced to 78 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay $310,106 in restitution.
Did You Know?
Japan’s Metabo Law, enacted in 2008, requires annual waistline measurements for workers between the
ages of 40-74 during health check-ups. Companies that have a large workforce that exceeds the waist limit are fined a tax.
Important Upcoming Tax Deadlines
March 2nd
41094 / 1095 forms due regarding Employee healthcare coverage
March 16th
S Corps and Partnership Business Returns due, also last day to elect S Corp status
April 15th
Individual Federal income tax returns due
First quarter 2026 estimated tax payments due
We’d Like to Hear From You!
If you have an IRS issue, or just want to refer a friend, relative or client, we’d love to hear from you. We can provide a no-obligation confidential consultation to help you solve your IRS problems.
Irving – Adrienne @ 972-514-1424
Duncanville – Linda @ 469-647-9950
Pecos – Crissy @ 432-445-4949 Greenville – Shannon @ 469-256-4056
Enter Our Trivia Contest for a Chance to Win a
$250 Transferrable Gift Certificate!
Take the Trivia Challenge to win!
Each month, we will give you a new trivia question. The first THREE people who call our office with the correct answer will win a free $250 reduction on any IRS Resolution service we provide. Your prize is also transferrable, so use it for yourself, or give it to a family member or friend. Take your best guess and call Nicole @ 469-647-9950
This month’s question is….
Galentine’s Day was first mentioned on what television show?
Call Nicole @ 469-647-9950 with your guess
Your IRS Questions Answered Here…
Question: The IRS is hounding me, sending me notices and won’t leave me alone, so I’ve finally decided to seek help from a Tax Professional who specializes in IRS problem resolution. I want to start getting my paperwork together for the initial appointment: what will I need to bring with me?
Answer: It’s very important to have certain documentation with you for the initial interview. Your tax resolution specialist will need this info to preserve your rights, protect your income and assets and to determine the best way forward to resolve your case. Some items to have in front of you include
- The most recent IRS/State tax notices and collection notices.
- The latest filed income (1040) tax return if you have one.
- A monthly household cash flow budget (list all outflows and inflows of money)
- Your most recent paystubs with YTD info verifying income from all sources and all withholdings and payroll deductions.
- If you are self-employed, an independent contractor, or small business owner, prepare a “rough draft” of your current profit and loss. If this is not possible, just bring your Schedule C from your most recently filed 1040.
- A list of any quarterly estimated tax payments made, if any, for the current year
The information above will help determine which IRS debt settlement program your eligible for, including settling with the IRS for a fraction of what you owe, if you qualify
We at Cheshier Tax Resolution are experts at navigating the IRS maze and will customize a resolution plan to fit your individual needs to help you permanently solve your IRS Problems. Call Linda @ 469-647-9950 for a free confidential consultation.