Tax Preparer Charged With Defrauding State Of $1.4 Million

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- A Minneapolis tax preparer is facing more than 50 criminal charges for allegedly filing false tax returns for her clients while failing to file any for herself.

Rona Griffin ran HAH Broker, Inc., out of her home in Champlin before moving to Minneapolis. The charges allege Griffin consistently lied on the tax forms without the knowledge of her clients, causing the state to lose more than $1.4 million in taxes.

State auditors discovered the inconsistencies and traced them back to Griffin.

"We conducted a couple hundred audits to investigate what was happening here. Those patterns and results of the audits led us to open a criminal investigation," Cynthia Bauerly with the Minnesota Department of Revenue said.

Ten clients are named in the criminal complaint, but the Hennepin County Attorney said hundreds of Griffin's clients may have also been defrauded.