KC Reporter

A Kansas City tax preparer was sentenced in federal court for a wire fraud scheme involving nearly $1 million. Ebens Louis-Loradin, 45, received a 20-month federal prison sentence without parole from U.S. District Judge Brian C. Wimes and was ordered to pay $722,121 in restitution.

Louis-Loradin pleaded guilty on March 27, 2024, to one count of wire fraud and ten counts of aiding in the preparation of false tax returns. Court documents revealed that he prepared and filed 154 fraudulent tax returns, inflating his clients’ refunds by nearly $1 million and increasing the fees he charged them.

Operating as a tax preparer since 2012, Louis-Loradin admitted to defrauding the IRS over seven years, from 2013 to 2020. He submitted federal tax returns with false information such as dependents, inflated income tax withholding amounts, credits for child and dependent care expenses, American opportunity credits, earned income credits, itemized deductions, and business losses. These actions reduced his clients' taxable income and increased their eligibility for tax credits.

The fraud resulted in a total loss of $953,873 to the United States. Many clients claimed they were unaware of the false items on their returns and are now repaying the IRS for refund overpayments due to Louis-Loradin’s actions.

Additionally, court documents indicated that Louis-Loradin did not file personal federal income tax returns for 2016 through 2018 and used multiple identities in his scheme. He specifically used at least seven minors' identities as dependents on various clients' tax returns.

Louis-Loradin was indicted while in Haiti in July 2021 but traveled to Florida in May 2023 where he was arrested.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas P. Heberle prosecuted this case which was investigated by IRS-Criminal Investigations.