Tallahassee Sun

Wesner Jean-Pierre, 33, of Orlando, Florida, has been sentenced to 26 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to charges of preparing false tax returns. The sentence was handed down by Jason R. Coody, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

“The United States and its citizens rely on the payment of taxes to defend our country and maintain its operations,” said U.S. Attorney Coody. “Efforts to steal from hardworking American taxpayers – here by a corrupt tax preparer – will result in swift and significant sanctions.”

Between 2015 and 2019, Jean-Pierre, owner of WJP Financial Services, LLC., a tax preparation business in Pensacola, prepared and filed approximately 1,949 false tax returns with the Internal Revenue Service for various clients. Jean-Pierre falsely represented the taxpayers’ income, deductions, credits, and the refund due to steal funds from American taxpayers for his gain.

Jean-Pierre’s prison sentence will be followed by one year of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $830,840.00 in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service.

“Clients place special trust in their tax preparers, who have a duty to prepare their clients’ returns accurately and in compliance with the law,” said Ronald A. Loecker, Special Agent in Charge of IRS CI’s Tampa Field Office. “Mr. Jean-Pierre is now paying the price for violating that trust for his own personal gain. This sentencing should serve as a warning to those tax preparers who choose to line their own pockets rather than do what’s best for their clients.”

This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation Division and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jeffrey M. Tharp.

The United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.