Former Las Vegas tax preparer gets federal prison term

A former Las Vegas tax preparer was sentenced Wednesday to 37 months in federal prison for aiding and assisting in the filing of false tax returns that resulted in a tax loss of more than $2.7 million, according to the Justice Department.

Prosecutors said that from 2009 through 2015, Ofelia Ronquillo prepared false income tax returns for clients of her business, A.R. Financial LLC and later AJRC Tax Services, in Las Vegas.

Ronquillo included multiple false items on her clients’ tax returns, including charitable contributions, capital loss deductions, energy tax credits and employee expenses.

U.S. District Judge Andrew Gordon also ordered Ronquillo to serve one year of supervised release and to pay restitution of about $16,000.

In a sentencing memorandum, federal public defenders asked for probation. They wrote that Ronquillo’s husband killed himself in 2015, and that she suffers from cataracts that could permanently blind her.

“Ofelia is genuinely remorseful for these offenses, and she has suffered significant consequences from this conviction even absent a prison sentence,” the memo stated.

Contact David Ferrara at dferrara@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-1039. Follow @randompoker on Twitter.