TAMPA, Florida — George Tucker, Jr., age 45, of Tampa, Florida, has been sentenced to seven years and six months in federal prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aiding in the filing of false tax returns. The court also ordered Tucker to forfeit $1,354,757.64 and pay $15,028,309.89 in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
Tucker pleaded guilty on December 2, 2024, to charges stemming from a scheme he orchestrated from March 2021 through February 2024, according to court documents. During this period, Tucker prepared or assisted in the preparation of 316 fraudulent tax returns for 196 taxpayers, including himself, for tax years 2020 through 2023. These returns included falsified Schedules A, B, 1, and 3, and fraudulent Forms W-2G with fabricated figures for gambling winnings and losses.
The IRS was defrauded of $15,028,309.89, which was paid out as refunds or credits, with Tucker personally profiting $1,354,757.64, according to the IRS Criminal Investigation. “These defendants spent their days looking for ways to cheat,” said Special Agent in Charge Ron Loecker of the IRS Criminal Investigation Florida Field Office. “Those who deliberately exploit our tax system for personal gain will face serious consequences.”…