BURLINGTON, N.C. — A Burlington woman has been sentenced to 25 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to helping clients file false tax returns, federal prosecutors announced Tuesday.
Tracey Hernandez, 39, pleaded guilty to one count of aiding and assisting in the filing of a false tax return on Sept. 5, 2025. In addition to her prison sentence, a judge ordered Hernandez to serve one year of supervised release and pay $2,106,281 in restitution.
According to court documents, IRS Criminal Investigation agents found that Hernandez prepared and filed more than 200 false Forms 1040 for clients for tax years 2021 and 2022. Hernandez operated as a “ghost preparer,” meaning she did not sign her name on the returns she filed on behalf of clients…