Maplewood Tax Preparer Sentenced for Failing to Disclose Earnings

The owner of a Maplewood tax preparation service was sentenced to 21 months in prison Tuesday after failing to report more than $600,000 in gross receipts for her business, the U.S. attorney said.

Zenobia Williams, 44, of Maplewood, previously pleaded guilty to one count of subscribing to a false tax return for failing to report income from Sunrise Professional Tax Service on her 2006 return, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman said. Williams entered her guilty plea before U.S. Magistrate Judge Patty Shwartz. She was sentence Tuesday by U.S. District Court Judge Faith Hochberg in Newark federal court, he said.

The tax preparation service, located in the village at 24 Oregon St., prepared and filed tax returns with the Internal Revenue Service. Williams is charged with failing to disclose and report the money for the 2003 through 2006 period. She received the money from her tax return service, Fishman said, on which she owed more than $200,000 in taxes.

In addition to the prison term, Williams was sentenced to a year of supervised release and ordered to pay $205,506 in restitution. She must also file any outstanding tax returns and pay any taxes, penalties and interest due.