Prison next for Detroit mom, son who filed false tax returns that cost government $1 million
4/3/2014DETROIT — Tax fraud turned out to be a family affair for a Detroit mother and her son.
Valerie Butler and Garry Young Jr. were sentenced to federal prison this week for a $1 million scheme to file 299 false returns, many in the names of dead people.
The government says they had refunds deposited in their bank accounts in 2009 and 2010. Butler was sentenced to 18 months in prison for conspiracy while Young got a year and a day.
Butler’s sentence from Detroit federal Judge Avern Cohn was well below the guidelines. She got a break after sharing information with agents who’ve been investigating other participants in the fraud.