Hophine Bwosinde — A Kenyan diaspora and a former tax preparer from Lenexa, Kansas — has been sentenced to 36 months in federal prison after admitting that he prepared fraudulent tax returns for clients, resulting in a tax loss to Internal Revenue Service (IRS) exceeding US$1.5 million.
This case has drawn considerable attention not only because of the scale of the fraud, but also because Bwosinde is a Kenyan immigrant previously viewed as a community leader in the Kansas City area.
The Scheme: Fraudulent Tax Returns via Ambroseli Professional Services
Between 2018 and 2022, Bwosinde — through his tax-preparation firm Ambroseli Professional Services — systematically prepared false income tax returns for clients.
The fraud took several forms:
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- He inflated legitimate business expenses.
- He claimed losses related to non-existent or “fake” businesses.
- He reported negative income on clients’ returns, artificially reducing their taxable income.
These manipulations significantly under-reported incomes to the IRS. As a result:
- Some clients paid far less in taxes than they rightfully owed.
- Others received undeserved refunds.
In total, these false filings caused a tax loss to the IRS exceeding US$1.5 million.
Legal Consequences & Sentencing
In October 2024, Bwosinde pleaded guilty to a single federal count of aiding and assisting in fraud and false statements.
On July 18, 2025, a federal court handed down his sentence: 36 months (three years) in prison.
Beyond prison time, his sentence includes:
- A period of supervised release (post-prison) An order to pay restitution to the IRS for the tax loss caused.
- Prosecutors from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and agents from the IRS’s law-enforcement division, IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), led the case.
Who is Hophine Bwosinde? Background & Community Role
Hophine Bwosinde, age 61, had operated Ambroseli Professional Services in Lenexa, Kansas.
He is a citizen of Kenya — and before the fraud was exposed, he was regarded as a community leader in the greater Kansas City area. According to media reports, Bwosinde even ran for a seat on the Lenexa City Council in 2021.
His downfall — from respected local figure to A person with felony convictions — is already drawing attention among Kenya’s diaspora communities and beyond.
Broader Significance: Implications for Tax Preparers & the Public
The case underscores several important lessons and warnings:
- Even trusted tax-preparation services can be misused for large-scale fraud. The public should verify credentials and due diligence.
- The IRS and DOJ retain rigorous enforcement capacity: fraudulent filings, especially repeated/refunding schemes, carry serious prison time and financial consequences.
- Immigrant and diaspora community leaders are not immune to scrutiny; those who abused trust may face heightened reputational damage — locally and internationally.
This case may serve as a deterrent for unscrupulous tax preparers, and a caution for clients to ensure their tax filings are legitimate.
Conclusion
The sentencing of Hophine Bwosinde closes the criminal chapter of one of the more significant tax-preparation fraud cases in recent years: over US$1.5 million lost to the U.S. Treasury, clients deceived into incorrect filings, and a former community leader now heading to federal prison for three years.
It also stands as a stern warning — for both tax-preparation professionals and their clients — about the heavy legal and moral costs of fraudulent returns.
