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Houston tax preparer Elfrin Patten of E. Patten Tax Prep pleads guilty to false returns and COVID credit claims

The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Texas announced on 10 November 2026 that Elfrin Patten admitted to aiding or assisting in the preparation of false tax returns through his Houston business, E. P…

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Source: justice.gov · published

Illustration: Impersonation scams

What happened

The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Texas announced on 10 November 2026 that Elfrin Patten admitted to aiding or assisting in the preparation of false tax returns through his Houston business, E. Patten Tax Prep. Prosecutors said that from 2019 to 2024 Patten and his employees falsely claimed business deductions and COVID-19 sick and family leave credits to get refunds for clients who were not entitled to them, charged clients thousands of dollars in fees, and that he under-reported his own income. He admitted causing about $523,139 in losses to the IRS and agreed to pay that amount in restitution. U.S. District Judge Alfred H. Bennett set sentencing for 11 February 2027; he faces up to three years in prison and a possible $250,000 fine and remains on bond. IRS Criminal Investigation investigated.

How the scam works

According to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Texas, from 2019 to 2024 Patten and his employees at E. Patten Tax Prep falsely claimed business deductions and COVID-19 sick and family leave credits to get refunds for clients who were not entitled to them, charged clients thousands of dollars in fees, and he under-reported his own income. He admitted causing about $523,139 in losses to the IRS and agreed to pay that amount in restitution. U.S. District Judge Alfred H. Bennett set sentencing for 11 February 2027; Patten faces up to three years in prison and a possible $250,000 fine and remains on bond. IRS Criminal Investigation investigated.

Clients who do not qualify for a credit or deduction should not accept a return that claims one, even if a preparer presents it as a way to increase a refund. Review your filings and contact the IRS if you believe a preparer claimed credits in your name that you were not entitled to.

Source

U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of Texas, 10 November 2026: https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdtx/pr/tax-preparer-pleads-guilty-fraudulent-tax-return-and-covid-credit-scheme

https://x.com/USAO_SDTX/status/2120210824241549509

Red flags

  • A tax preparer who claims COVID-19 paid sick or family leave credits you did not qualify for.
  • Pressure to sign a return you do not understand in order to get a larger refund.
  • Refunds or fees that seem out of line with your actual business or wages.
  • A request to split an unexpected refund or to keep quiet about credits claimed.

If you were targeted

  1. 1Review tax returns prepared in your name and query credits you did not qualify for.
  2. 2If you believe a preparer claimed false credits, contact the IRS and consider amending the return.
  3. 3Keep copies of what the preparer filed and any fees you paid.
  4. 4Do not sign a return you do not understand.
  5. 5Report suspected tax fraud through official IRS channels.
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