Tax Preparers Plead Guilty to Federal Charges

MISSION HILLS — Four people connected with a Mission Hills tax preparer have pleaded guilty to federal tax charges, the U.S. attorney’s office in Los Angeles announced.

All were associated with Robert Jimenez and Associates of Mission Hills.

Carmen Nona Anaya, 59, of Granada Hills pleaded guilty Monday to one count of filing a false federal income tax return in 1991 and three counts of preparing false returns for clients, according to a U.S. attorney’s office statement. She admitted, the statement said, claiming fictitious expenses on the clients’ tax returns.

Anaya faces a maximum penalty of 12 years in prison and a fine of $1 million. She is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 24.

Also Monday, Joe Garcia, 44, of Simi Valley, admitted not filing his tax return in 1991 and pleaded guilty to three counts of preparing false tax returns. He faces a maximum sentence of 14 years in federal prison and fines of up to $1 million. Garcia is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 3.

Robert Jimenez, 58, of Northridge, pleaded guilty on Aug. 5 to two felony counts of tax evasion for not filing his tax returns in 1991 and 1992, and four counts of preparing false tax returns for clients.

Jimenez faces a maximum of 22 years in prison and a $1.5 million fine.

Enoch Martinez, 41, formerly of Sylmar, also pleaded guilty on Aug. 5 to one count of filing a false tax return and three counts of preparing false tax returns for clients.

Martinez faces a maximum of 12 years in prison and a $1 million fine.

Federal agents seized thousands of documents from the firm on April 15, 1994, after several of the agents posed as clients who needed tax returns done, according to a search warrant.