Shreveport, La.: Sharay K. Johnson, 41, of Shreveport, La., was sentenced to 36 months in a federal prison, United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley. Johnson pleaded guilty in April to aiding and assisting in the preparation or presentation of a fraudulent tax return.

Thursday's sentence was imposed by United States District Judge S. Maurice Hicks, Jr. Johnson, an office manager at Jackson Hewitt Tax Service in Shreveport, prepared false Income Tax Returns in 2003, which contained false and/or inflated Form W-2 income, false dependents, false Schedule A itemized deductions, false deductions, false education credits, false qualified retirement savings contribution credits, and false student loan interest deductions. She filed the tax returns on behalf of taxpayers who had no knowledge of her actions or the false statements contained on the tax returns. The refunds issued by the IRS were transferred to cash cards through a Jackson Hewitt program, and Johnson obtained the cash cards and negotiated them for her own use.