Another Florida Tax Preparation Company Busted For Fraud

Central Florida Tax Prep Owners Sentenced for Multi-Million Dollar Fraud

ORLANDO, Fla. – Two Central Florida tax preparation entrepreneurs, Franklin Carter Jr. and Jonathan Carrillo, have pleaded guilty in connection with a sprawling fraud scheme that cost U.S. taxpayers over $12 million. Their convictions are the climax of a multi-year investigation sparked by local journalism and culminating in admissions before federal prosecutors. Here’s a hard-edged breakdown.

The Investigation That Blew the Lid Off

In 2020, an investigation by News 6 exposed Neighborhood Advance Tax, a chain operating from strip malls across Central Florida that touted “maximum refunds” often through fraudulent tax filings. Clients paid up to $999 only to be audited later and forced to repay substantial amounts to the IRS. Tax preparers were reportedly coached not to disclose falsified documents to customers. This allowed the scheme to grow unchecked for years until whistleblowers and reporters began piecing together the operation’s fraudulent patterns.

Guilty Pleas: What Did the Owners Admit?

June 2025: Guilty Pleas Pre-Trial

On June 2, 2025, just before jury selection, Carter and Carrillo pleaded guilty:

• Carter admitted to conspiring to defraud the U.S., and to willful failure to file personal tax returns.

• Carrillo admitted to conspiracy and aiding in the preparation of false tax returns.

The fraudulent operation spanned from 2016 to 2020 under the guise of Neighborhood Advance Tax, with roughly 12 offices statewide. After the company closed, the same duo launched Taxmates, operating in the same locations and continuing the scheme. Combined, the operation caused more than $12 million in tax losses.

Sentencing: Justice Delivered

At sentencing in late August 2025, Judge Wendy Berger delivered harsh penalties:

• Jonathan Carrillo received 121 months, just over 10 years, in federal prison.

• Franklin Carter Jr. was sentenced to 84 months, or seven years.

• Emmanuel Almonor, one of the other company owners, was sentenced to nearly five years.

• Diandre Mentor, an employee who later spun off his own fraudulent business called Smart Tax & Finance, received 36 months in prison.

Other employees met varied fates, including Adon Hemley with nearly four years, while Abryle De La Cruz, Isaiah Hayes, and Kaylah Dacosta received probation or supervised release.

Scheme Tactics: Inside the Fraud

Neighborhood Advance Tax supplied staff with training manuals instructing them to inflate deductions including fabricated unreimbursed work expenses and fake charitable donations while carefully evading IRS red flags. Employees were trained to avoid revealing falsified returns to clients, ensuring customers remained unaware of the fraud.

For many victims, the result wasn’t a windfall it was a financial nightmare. One client, Doreen Bowden, was initially promised a refund of $4,379 for her 2019 return, only to discover after an audit that she actually owed $1,095. Federal investigators noted that Carter personally pocketed nearly $2 million over four years. Court records revealed that, at the height of the scheme, he was leasing a $6,000-a-month Lamborghini. Judge Berger didn’t mince words, stating during sentencing, “The innocent people who hired you … were harmed.”

Accountability and Next Steps

All convicted parties are required to pay restitution totaling the full amount of the tax losses. The case was led by IRS Criminal Investigation and prosecuted by the Justice Department’s Tax Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida. This case stands as a warning to taxpayers: fraudulent preparers often exploit those desperate for quick refunds, leaving unsuspecting clients to shoulder the legal and financial consequences.

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