Arcadia Professional Tax Preparer Indicted for Filing False Tax Forms

Fort Myers, Florida - Janie Martinez Castillo has been charged by federal indictment with 20 counts of willfully failing to account for and pay employment taxes, filing a false personal tax return, and corruptly endeavoring to obstruct the internal revenue laws. If convicted, Martinez Castillo faces a maximum penalty of 5 years in federal prison on each count for willfully failing to account for and pay over employment taxes, and up to 3 years on each remaining count. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.

According to the indictment, Martinez Castillo was responsible for collecting, truthfully accounting for, and paying over to the IRS employment taxes owed by her payroll and tax business, Castillo Payroll and Tax Service Inc. (CPTS). Despite the fact that CPTS owed employment taxes for numerous calendar quarters from 2019 to 2023, Martinez Castillo failed to account for and pay over those taxes. Martinez Castillo also filed personal tax returns falsifying the amount withheld from her income and fraudulently altered CPTS's books and records after receiving an IRS summons but before providing the records.

An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.

This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Division. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Benjamin S. Winter.