Modesto man pleads guilty to tax fraud

A Modesto resident, 52-year-old Mark Threet, pleaded guilty Monday in Fresno to making a false claim for a tax refund, U.S. Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner announced.

According to court documents, Threet filed more than 850 false tax returns for himself and others for the tax years 2008 to 2010. Each return included false statements regarding income, tax credits and refund amounts. In sum, the returns claimed more than $620,000 in false tax refunds.

Threet is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. O’Neill on Dec. 7, 2015. He faces a maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

This story was originally published September 14, 2015 at 4:03 PM with the headline "Modesto man pleads guilty to tax fraud."