Cook County jury finds Chicago accountant guilty of identity theft, tax fraud

CHICAGO - A Chicago accountant has been found guilty of defrauding the state of Illinois out of more than $250,000, Attorney General Kwame Raoul announced on Monday.

Oscar Garrett, 61, was convicted of theft of government property, identity theft, wire and mail fraud, forgery, and income tax fraud.

A Cook County jury convicted Garrett after it was alleged that he obtained fraudulent tax refunds for over a dozen clients between January 2011 and December 2016 by filing false 1099-R and 1099-M forms. The forms were filed on behalf of clients who did not have income from retirement accounts to report, allowing Garrett to fraudulently obtain tax refunds from the state.

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"It is unacceptable that an accountant would abuse their position to betray the trust of clients and defraud the state of Illinois," Raoul said in a statement.

"I appreciate the ongoing collaboration of the Illinois Department of Revenue to hold individuals accountable for taking advantage of clients and stealing from the people of Illinois."

Garrett's bond was revoked after his conviction, and he is currently in custody at the Cook County Jail, with his next court appearance set for June 7.

Garrett had previously served over two years in federal prison for a similar scheme in which he defrauded the Internal Revenue Service.