Overview:
Wislet Metayer, a tax preparer primarily based in Port St. Lucie, Fla., was sentenced to serve three years in jail after being convicted of tax fraud. He’s additionally accused of constructing false statements on his naturalization software.
A Haitian-born tax preparer primarily based in Port St. Lucie, Fla., has been sentenced to 36 months in federal jail after being convicted of working a “huge tax fraud scheme.” Prosecutors say Wislet Metayer, 45, additionally lied on his software for U.S. citizenship concerning the fraud.
U.S. District Choose Donald M. Middlebrooks handed down the sentence on Feb. 11, in line with a press release from the U.S. Legal professional’s Workplace for the Southern District of Florida. Along with jail time, Metayer should pay $167,792.45 in restitution.
Ron Loecker, Particular Agent in Cost of the IRS Legal Investigation, added that Metayer’s actions harmed sincere residents.
“If you flip tax varieties into instruments for bogus refunds, you’re stealing from each sincere taxpayer,” Loecker said. “Metayer selected to cheat the system and even lied in a bid for citizenship. A jury noticed via it, and the courtroom delivered accountability.”
Shoppers abused with out figuring out it
Between 2019 and 2025, Metayer filed dozens of false federal revenue tax returns, in line with the prosecutors. He added pretend enterprise losses, deductions and credit to his purchasers’ varieties — usually with out them figuring out — simply to extend their refunds and justify his excessive charges. U.S. Legal professional Jason A. Reding Quiñones, of the Southern District of Florida, mentioned the inflated refunds price the U.S. Treasury greater than $175,000.
“Fraud in our tax system and dishonesty in our immigration course of won’t be tolerated,” Quiñones mentioned within the press launch.
Whereas his tax fraud was nonetheless lively in March 2024, Metayer utilized to turn out to be a naturalized U.S. citizen. Prosecutors say Metayer was requested beneath oath if he had ever dedicated a criminal offense for which he had not been arrested. He mentioned no, hiding the truth that he was at the moment defrauding the IRS.
It’s unclear if Metayer’s naturalization software was nonetheless pending on the time of his conviction or if U.S. citizenship was stripped after the conviction.
Because of his conviction, Metayer’s life within the U.S. is coming to an finish. As a result of he’s nonetheless a Haitian nationwide, Metayer might be topic to removing from the U.S. again to Haiti after finishing his jail sentence.
The Haitian Occasions reached out to Metayer’s lawyer for a remark and the pending deportation, however they didn’t reply. Quiñones’ workplace didn’t reply to messages searching for to make clear whether or not the deportation was triggered particularly by the immigration fraud conviction or if U.S. citizenship was ever granted.