A federal jury has found a former accountant guilty of conspiracy to defraud the United States.

U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst says jurors convicted 73-year-old Carl Nicholson, of Hattiesburg, Friday on all 11 tax-related charges he faced.

Hurst says “justice prevailed … and a long-time tax cheat was held accountable for his crimes.”

According to court documents, from 2012 to 2014, Nicholson conspired with a client to falsely classify personal expenses as business expenses and filed false tax returns on the client’s behalf.

He also was convicted of filing his own false personal income tax returns from 2012 through 2015.

Sentencing is set for May 23. He faces up to 35 years in prison and nearly $3 million in fines.
Nicholson served on the state College Board from 1993 to 2004.