Houston businesswoman admits to under-reporting millions in income

HOUSTON - The owner of a high-end flower business has entered a guilty plea to making and subscribing a false tax return, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.

Le Hao Tran owned and operated a flower business in Houston called Blooming Gallery LLC. She also owned HTX Rental and Delivery Service LLC. Both companies provided goods or services for high-end events, including weddings and corporate gatherings. At times, her clients paid via checks - sometimes exceeding tens of thousands of dollars. In one instance, a corporate client paid her over $2.7 million for floral services at a corporate gathering.

Tran admitted she failed to report to the IRS all the income she received from these businesses for the 2019 through 2022 tax years. Often, she would divert money and hide income from the IRS by taking customer checks to check-cashing businesses. She would also at times deposit checks in her bank account without accounting for those checks in her business books and records.

Tran pleaded guilty to one count of filing a false tax return for the 2022 tax year. In that year alone, she earned over $9 million in gross income yet reported approximately only $7 million. By under-reporting this income, she paid to the IRS less than she actually owed.

In total, Tran admitted her conduct resulted in a tax loss to the IRS of $1,391,167 and has paid this amount in restitution.

U.S. District Judge George C. Hanks will impose sentencing Sept. 11. At that time, Tran faces up to three years in federal prison and a maximum $250,000 possible fine.

She was permitted to remain on bond pending that hearing.

IRS Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brad Gray is prosecuting the case.

The Department of Justice has created the National Fraud Enforcement DivisionLinks to other government and non-government sites will typically appear with the "external link" icon to indicate that you are leaving the Department of Justice website when you click the link.. The core mission of the Fraud Division is to zealously investigate and prosecute those who steal or fraudulently misuse taxpayer dollars. Department of Justice efforts to combat fraud support President Trump's Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste and abuse within federal benefit programs.