Tax time is stressful for a lot of Americans, especially when your accountant informs you, you owe money to the Internal Revenue Service. That’s what Jose Coss, a gay man and local accountant, was telling his clients. Except, allegedly, it wasn’t true. It was a scam.
Coss is accused of scamming 22 clients out of hundreds of thousands of dollars, and prosecutors believe more victims are out there. Coss was arrested in January and is out on bond. But investigators in Wilton Manors are still working the case.
Coss, of the eponymous Coss Bookkeeping and Accounting, is accused of manipulating tax returns.
The scam, according to investigators, involved having clients believe they owed money to the IRS. When the client would write a check, Coss is accused of having it routed to his personal accounts.
But detectives say that wasn’t the only illicit revenue stream.
One former client told WPLG they didn’t know something was wrong until they were denied access to an American Express lounge. The victim, who asked to remain anonymous, says Coss opened a card and racked up nearly $100,000 in debt.
Coss has pleaded not guilty, and was scheduled to be in court next week, however that is likely to be delayed.
Wilton Manors Police Det. Bonnie Owens says Coss may not have acted alone, and any heretofore unidentified victims are encouraged to come forward. Anyone with information on the case is asked to contact the police department at 954-390-2150.
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