Chino Hills tax preparers convicted of tax fraud

CORONA -- A married couple who own a tax preparation business have been convicted by a jury on four felony counts related to income tax fraud.

Aloysius Vivo, 55, and Rachel Vivo, 47, of Chino Hills, were convicted by a jury Nov. 10 of criminal charges stemming from a tax return filed in February 2001.

On the tax return, the Vivos claimed a child credit they were ineligible for, and failed to report income they paid to cappers who helped find clients for their business, Vivo-Cota & Associates, according to a news release issued by the California Franchise Tax Board.

A jury deliberated for about four hours before reaching verdicts Nov. 10 in Corona Superior Court, court records show. The Vivos face up to five years in state prison, according to the news release.

The couple also face felony tax-fraud charges in San Bernardino County, where prosecutors have charged them with three counts of filing false tax returns in 2002, court records show.