Minneapolis Father and Son Plead Guilty to Filing 300-Plus False Tax Returns Seeking $9.2 Million in Refunds

Published Oct. 19, 2026. Case status is current as of that date.

A Minneapolis-area father and son recruited people to hand over their Social Security numbers, IDs and bank details, then filed false federal tax returns in their names claiming refunds they were not owed, according to the Justice Department. LaMar Javis Burgess and his son LaMar Dazjar Burgess pleaded guilty in October 2026 to conspiring to defraud the United States. Together they prepared or filed at least 300 false returns claiming at least $9.2 million in refunds [1].

The father charged taxpayers a $10,000 fee, taken from a portion of their refunds, for each false return, prosecutors said [1].

Status: Both men have pleaded guilty and await sentencing; no dates were announced. The account below comes from the Justice Department's summary of "documents and statements made in court."

How the scheme worked

According to the Justice Department [1]:

1. Recruiting "clients." Both men solicited people to give them their names, addresses, Social Security numbers, photo ID and bank account information so they could prepare and file returns.
2. Fake pandemic credits. For 2021, they filed returns claiming refundable sick and family leave tax credits, a COVID-19 credit available to certain self-employed people who could not work because of the pandemic. For 2022, they claimed other refundable credits. The returns included employment and tax-credit information the defendants knew was false.
3. The fee. In exchange for a false return, the father took a $10,000 fee out of the taxpayer's refund.
4. Self-taught. The father sought out videos and instruction manuals on filing false federal returns, including a guide titled "TurboTax Sauce The 'Self-Employed' Way," and worked with his son and others to promote the scheme.

The conspiracy ran from June 2022 to October 2024 and covered returns for the defendants themselves and for others [1].

Why the "clients" are at risk too

The release does not say whether any of the taxpayers whose returns were filed will face consequences. But the returns were filed in their names, with their Social Security numbers and bank accounts, so any false credit sits on their own tax record. The IRS warns that each year "some taxpayers are hurt financially because they choose the wrong tax return preparer" [2]. A $10,000 cut from a refund also means paying heavily for a return that may later need to be corrected.

The second charge against the father

When investigators searched LaMar Javis Burgess's home in Golden Valley, Minnesota, they found a stolen Glock 19 handgun loaded with a 15-round magazine, plus an extended high-capacity magazine, a drum magazine and loose ammunition. Because he has prior felony convictions, he is barred from having guns, and he also pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm [1].

The defendants and potential penalties

• LaMar Javis Burgess (father), of the Minneapolis area, with a home in Golden Valley: pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud the United States and felon in possession of a firearm. He faces up to 10 years in prison on the conspiracy count and up to 15 years on the gun count, plus supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties.
• LaMar Dazjar Burgess (son), of the Minneapolis area: pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud the United States. He faces up to 10 years in prison.

Their ages were not released. A federal judge will decide the sentences. IRS Criminal Investigation investigated, with help from the FBI, HSI, ATF and Minneapolis-area police and sheriff's offices. The case is being prosecuted by the Justice Department's National Fraud Enforcement Division Tax Section and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Minnesota [1].

Red flags in a tax preparer

• They promise a big refund before seeing your records, or pitch a credit you have never heard of.
• Their fee is a percentage or a flat chunk of your refund, such as the $10,000 cut described here, or they want the refund deposited into their account.
• They claim you were "self-employed" or "couldn't work" when you weren't, or add income or employment you never had.
• They won't sign the return or give you a copy. The IRS tells taxpayers to avoid unethical "ghost" return preparers [2].
• They recruit through friends or social media and ask for your ID and bank login up front.

What to do

1. Check a preparer's credentials with the IRS Directory of Federal Tax Return Preparers, and remember anyone paid to prepare returns needs a Preparer Tax Identification Number (PTIN) [2].
2. Read your return before it's filed, and never sign a blank or incomplete return.
3. If a preparer filed a false return for you, talk to a licensed tax professional or a Low Income Taxpayer Clinic about correcting it with an amended return.
4. Report preparer misconduct to the IRS. The IRS lists tax return preparer fraud among common tax scams and accepts complaints from people financially harmed by a preparer [2].
5. If your identity was used to file a return you didn't authorize, report it at IdentityTheft.gov.

Case status (as of Oct. 19, 2026)

Defendant	Court	Status as of Oct. 19, 2026	Source
LaMar Javis Burgess (father), Minneapolis area	Federal, D. Minn.	Pleaded guilty (October 2026) to conspiracy to defraud the U.S. and felon in possession of a firearm; sentencing date not announced	[1]
LaMar Dazjar Burgess (son), Minneapolis area	Federal, D. Minn.	Pleaded guilty (October 2026) to conspiracy to defraud the U.S.; sentencing date not announced	[1]

Statuses can change.

Sources

1. U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Public Affairs, "Minneapolis Father and Son Plead Guilty to $9 Million Fraud Conspiracy," Oct. 14, 2026. https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/minneapolis-father-and-son-plead-guilty-9-million-fraud-conspiracy
2. Internal Revenue Service, "Choosing a tax professional," last reviewed Aug. 21, 2026 (accessed Oct. 19, 2026). https://www.irs.gov/tax-professionals/choosing-a-tax-professional

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