Tampa Judge Shuts Down Florida Tax Preparer

Port Richey, Fla., Man Allegedly Falsified Deductions & Falsely Told Customers
He Was A Former IRS Agent

WASHINGTON, May 27 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A federal judge in Tampa, Fla.,
has permanently barred a Port Richey, Fla., tax preparer and his firm from
preparing federal tax returns, the Justice Department announced today. U.S.
District Court Judge Elizabeth A. Kovachevich of the Middle District of
Florida entered the permanent injunction against Frank Lighty and his firm,
Lighty and Associates. Lighty consented to the permanent injunction.

According to the government complaint filed in the case, Lighty prepared
federal income tax returns claiming false or inflated deductions for medical
expenses, charitable contributions and other items. The tax loss from Lighty's
conduct was alleged to be as much as $6 million. The complaint also alleged
that Lighty falsely told customers that he was a former IRS agent and had a
Master's Degree in Tax Administration.

John A. DiCicco, Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Justice
Department's Tax Division thanked Justice Department trial attorney Michael
Pahl for handling the case, and revenue agent Joe Slater of the Internal
Revenue Service's Small Business/Self-Employed Division, who conducted the
investigation.

In the past decade the Justice Department has obtained injunctions against
more than 400 tax preparers and tax fraud promoters. Information about these
cases is available on the Justice Department's Tax Division Web site at
http://www.usdoj.gov/tax/.

SOURCE U.S. Department of Justice

U.S. Department of Justice Office of Public Affairs, +1-202-514-2007, TDD,
+1-202-514-1888