A Toms River accountant who admitted cheating clients out of tax refunds and hiding the money from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) faces decades in prison.

Ingram Publishing / Townsquare Digital
Ingram Publishing / Townsquare Digital
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In a Camden federal courtroom, Doreen Gentile, 61, pleaded guilty to counts of mail fraud and filing a false tax return, according to the office of New Jersey U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman. Sentencing is scheduled for February 22, 2016.

The mail fraud charge carries a prison term as high as 20 years and fines up to $250,000. The false tax return count means a possible three years and $100,000 fine.

Her plea bargain also requires her to forfeit $905,004, representing the amount she admitted skimming.

Gentile operated her accounting enterprise in her house. She admitted showing her clients tax returns indicating that they owed very little in taxes, or had little or no taxes or refunds due them.

She then submitted second sets of federal and state tax returns for actual, signed without clients' knowledge or consent.

Gentile also admitted that between 2006 and 2009, she neglected to report income from her business to the IRS, including funds stolen as part of the refund scam. Prosecutors said it resulted in tax losses of $188,811.

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