Firm owner accused of helping falsify taxes

10/5/2012
BLADE STAFF

A Toledo businessman has been charged in U.S. District Court in Toledo with helping others falsify their tax returns.

Doris A. Porterfield was charged with 11 counts of aiding in filing false federal income tax returns with the IRS. According to the indictment, she is the owner of a gutter-installation business in Toledo known as Elite Seamless Gutters.

The indictment alleges that Ms. Porterfield offered to assist individuals in preparing and filing their income tax returns. Specifically, she provided Elite Seamless Gutters employees with W-2s that showed compensation greater than what they received as well as providing W-2s from her firm to individuals who had never worked there, the indictment shows.

As a result of these false W-2s, the individuals received earned income credits and refunds totaling $62,233 that they were not entitled to receive, the indictment alleges.

Ms. Porterfield then allegedly split the fraudulently obtained income tax refunds with the individuals.