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.
This is not the first time Coss has been accused of having his hand in the cookie jar. He was arrested for embezzlement in 2010, and pleaded guilty in 2012. Hoodline.com says he violated his probation in 2019.
His LinkedIn profile says he ran Coss Bookkeeping until early 2015, and founded Coss Bookkeeping & Accounting in 2016 at 2480 E. Commercial Blvd. Services listed run the gamut from personal and business tax help, travel consulting, and making color copies.
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.
