TAMPA, FL--(Marketwire - Dec 21, 2011) - Accountant Jessica James' autobiographical novel, "Justice for None" (www.AuthorJessicaJames.com), is based on her experience as a target in an IRS tax fraud case.
In her book, James, a pen name used to protect the writer's identity from the federal agency, states, "When the government decides they want to prosecute you, nothing will stand in their way."
"It's ironic, because I was just like everyone else who believed that we live in a free country and that we all have the same rights to fair legal proceedings," James says. "If they want to get you, they'll find a way."
James was only a small target in the government probe that included the IRS and the Department of Justice. As a CPA she prepared tax returns for clients referred by an organization that, unbeknownst to her, was under investigation.
"Apparently, mere association with targeted parties of interest was enough for the government to pursue me in a way I didn't even know possible," she says.
She says she was pushed into a plea deal in which she admitted to falsifying a single tax return, even though the expert tax witness in the trial testified that she did nothing wrong and performed the industry standard due diligence.
"The way they manipulate you, you become convinced that the only way you'll ever get out of it is to just sign what they put in front of you," she says.
She served 20 months in a detention camp and was allowed to return to tax preparation work.
She says her novel is a cautionary tale for others.
"There is no way out once they've targeted you," she says. "By that time, they've spent so many resources on the case, they have to come away with something. They have to put someone on trial or put someone in jail; otherwise, they look foolish."
About Jessica James
Jessica James is the pen name of a certified public accountant who was caught up in a federal tax fraud case several years ago. Her story is fictionalized in the novel "Justice for None."
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Ginny Grimsley
ginny@newsandexperts.com