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Tax Fraud Trio Pleads Guilty

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- The third and final member of a tax fraud trio pleaded guilty Wednesday in federal court to one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States.

Tameca Stokes was involved with a conspiracy to file false tax returns to generate inflated refunds.

On Tuesday, co-defendant Soloman Frank-Sawari also pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy, and on March 19, the third defendant Chasma Dixon did, too.

The group admittedly obstructed the IRS and the State of Minnesota by falsifying hundreds of tax returns through Frank-Sawari's tax prep services, Merit Tax Service of Robbinsdale and Capitol Income Tax of Minneapolis.

Between 2007 and 2010, the three admitted the tax loss was between $80,000 and $200,000.

The returns generated inflated refunds for their customers and fees and other payments for themselves and others.

The co-defendants admitted that on the returns, they provided false income and dependent information, among other things.

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