Inside the Frantzson Saintilien Case: 18 Guilty Verdicts, a $175,000 Bond and the Road to Sentencing

BROOKLYN — Five days after a federal jury found Frantzson Saintilien guilty on all 18 counts of helping prepare false tax returns, his case returned to court for a different question: the conditions governing his release while he awaits sentencing.

The October 14 docket entry records a $175,000 bond, two additional sureties and one property added to the bond. The guilty verdicts remain in place. Judge Brian M. Cogan is scheduled to impose sentence on January 21, 2027, at noon. Those developments, read together, capture the case’s current posture: guilt has been decided by a jury; punishment has not. [1]

Haiti Politic reviewed the indictment, signed verdict form, redacted release papers and an October 14 docket report. They reveal a prosecution built around particular clients’ tax filings and a defense that challenged what evidence the jury could hear. They do not provide a complete transcript of the trial or the judge’s reasoning on every disputed issue.

The case was about false returns, not simply a filing mistake

The attachment labeled “Complaint(2).pdf” is actually a grand jury indictment filed September 30, 2024. It charged Saintilien with 18 violations of 26 U.S.C. § 7206(2), aiding and assisting the preparation of false tax returns. The indictment alleged that he acted willfully and knew the taxpayers were not entitled to the claimed items. [2]

The charging document describes three recurring methods: fuel-tax credits on Form 4136, losses from the sale of business property on Form 4797, and business income or expense entries on Schedule C. The allegation was that false entries produced larger refunds or reduced the taxes clients owed. Its introductory account covers filings made between 2019 and 2023 for tax years 2018 through 2022.

There is a narrower count-by-count picture beneath that broad narrative. The 18 charged returns concern six taxpayers and tax years 2018 through 2021. Several taxpayers appear in multiple counts because separate years’ returns were charged separately. Eighteen counts therefore does not mean 18 different clients, and the broader reference to tax year 2022 does not mean the count table contains a 2022 return. [2, pp. 2–4]

The verdict form marks Saintilien guilty on each count. It does not convict the taxpayers named on those returns of participating in a crime. Their appearance in the case should not be treated as evidence that they knowingly joined the misconduct. [3]

Two loss figures that should not be confused

The indictment alleged an aggregate tax loss of at least $114,000. After trial, prosecutors said the charged returns alone caused more than $100,000 in losses and estimated that the broader scheme cost the government well over $1 million. They also said Saintilien diverted portions of improper refunds to himself without some clients’ knowledge. These broader assertions come from the prosecution’s October 9 account of the trial. [2, p. 2] [5]

The supplied verdict form contains guilty-or-not-guilty findings, without a separate dollar-loss determination. The government’s estimate of the wider scheme is therefore distinct from a specific loss figure expressly recorded by the jury. The supplied papers do not establish the final loss calculation the judge will adopt for sentencing.

The defense fought over the evidence

The docket shows that Saintilien pleaded not guilty on October 1, 2024. Over the following two years, the court repeatedly adjusted deadlines to accommodate discovery review, plea discussions and trial preparation. Those references establish that discussions occurred; they do not establish a plea agreement or an admission of guilt. The case ultimately went to a jury. [1]

Several entries identify disputes that shaped the approach to trial. In August 2026, the defense moved to suppress evidence, attaching IRS materials from 2022 and communications involving an attorney. Cogan denied that motion in a decision docketed September 9. Because the decision itself was not supplied, the docket establishes the outcome, but does not support a detailed account of the judge’s legal analysis.

On September 22, the defense requested a trial continuance so Saintilien could retain counsel. The government opposed it, and Cogan denied the request the next day. Later, the defense sought to exclude a witness alleging a distinct offense and to exclude returns without taxpayer testimony. The court granted that motion in part and denied it in part. A further defense motion sought to exclude audit materials and a summary chart. The supplied docket does not spell out a separate disposition of that last request. [1, ECF 28, 35, 40–48]

Meanwhile, an October 2 order authorized admission of certified records from financial institutions, telecommunications providers, the IRS and other organizations as self-authenticating business records. That ruling concerns admissibility. It does not, by itself, establish what each record proved or that every organization listed was implicated in wrongdoing.

The docket also records a dispute over whether a witness could be required to invoke the Fifth Amendment in front of the jury. Without the underlying letters, ruling and transcript, neither the witness’s identity nor the effect of that dispute can responsibly be reconstructed from the entry titles alone.

From jury selection to a verdict on every count

Trial counsel for Saintilien included Katherine Marie Hurrelbrink and Michael Daniel Weil of Federal Defenders of New York. The prosecution team included Rebecca Ann Sussman, Amanda Muros-Bishoff and Joshua Buchanan Dugan. [1]

What the $175,000 bond means after conviction

The October 14 hearing was a bond modification, not a reversal of the verdict. The docket records that two additional sureties were sworn, advised of their obligations and signed the bond, with a property also added. A Creole interpreter participated in the hearing. [1, ECF 57–59]

The redacted order includes supervision, passport surrender, a New York State travel restriction, a prohibition on contact with victims or witnesses, and stand-alone GPS monitoring. The monitoring selection expressly provides for no residential restrictions; the home-detention and home-incarceration boxes are not selected. Calling that provision “house arrest” would misdescribe the form. [4, p. 1]

Some dates and conditions on the filed form originate in 2024. Its first page marks the bond unsecured and cosigned, while the October 14 minute entry expressly describes the addition of property. The record supports reporting both features, rather than assuming that every marking was newly imposed on October 14. It does not establish that $175,000 in cash was paid, or disclose enough to determine the property’s value.

Federal law treats release pending sentencing separately from guilt. Under the generally applicable rule in 18 U.S.C. § 3143(a)(1), where imprisonment is recommended by the applicable guideline, release requires clear and convincing evidence that the defendant is unlikely to flee or endanger others. The supplied materials do not include a transcript explaining the court’s individualized findings here. [6]

Why “up to 54 years” is not the sentence

Prosecutors announced a maximum exposure of 54 years in prison and financial penalties. That is a statement of potential punishment across the 18 counts, not a sentence Cogan has imposed or a reliable prediction of the outcome. [5]

Federal sentencing involves a presentence investigation, an advisory guidelines assessment and consideration of the offense and the defendant’s circumstances. The defense and prosecution can dispute information in the presentence report. The materials reviewed do not contain a completed report or an adopted guidelines range, so they provide no sound basis for predicting a particular prison term. [7]

Cogan directed the parties to submit a proposed schedule for post-trial motions within 30 days of the verdict. That direction does not mean a motion has been granted, or even establish which motions will be filed. The sentencing schedule calls for the defense memorandum and objections to the presentence report by January 7, 2027, and any government response by January 14. [1, October 9 trial minutes]

For now, the central facts are established: the jury found Saintilien guilty on every charged count, the court subsequently modified his release bond, and sentencing remains ahead. The next consequential filings will show what punishment each side requests, what loss calculation is disputed and whether the defense asks the trial court to disturb the verdict.

Source notes

1. U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York, United States v. Saintilien, No. 1:24-cr-00391-BMC: supplied CM/ECF docket report, generated October 14, 2026, 11 pages. Specific entries cited above.
2. ECF 1, indictment filed September 30, 2024, pp. 1–4; supplied as “Complaint(2).pdf,” with criminal information sheet. Allegations are identified as such; conviction is established separately by the verdict.
3. ECF 55, completed jury verdict form, October 9, 2026, pp. 1–4; entered on the docket October 13. All 18 counts marked guilty.
4. ECF 59, redacted amended release order and appearance-bond supplement, filed October 14, 2026, pp. 1–3; read alongside ECF 57’s hearing minutes.
5. U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of New York, October 9, 2026: “Long Island Tax Preparer Convicted of Defrauding The Internal Revenue Service.” Prosecution account, including broader loss estimate and maximum exposure.
6. 18 U.S.C. § 3143(a)(1), release or detention pending sentencing. Official U.S. Code text.
7. Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, “Presentence Investigations.” General explanation of the sentencing process; not a case-specific recommendation.

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