H&T Multi Services Data Breach (2013)

A Lynn tax preparer was sentenced to three-and-a-half years in prison Thursday after pleading guilty to fraud and identity theft charges, according to press releases from United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz’ office. Fernandez operated a business called H&T Multi Services in Lynn and, according to the release, Fernandez inserted false and fabricated information into his clients’ income tax returns on numerous occasions. The release states that this information included “wholly fictitious and fraudulently inflated claims relating to deductions and credits.” In addition, Fernandez omitted the names and personal identifying information of dependent children from their actual parents’ income tax returns, and then charged other clients $500 or more to add those dependents to their income tax returns in order to generate larger tax refunds.