Three Texas tax return preparers, including a business owner and two of his employees, have been sentenced to federal prison for a multi-year conspiracy that utilized fake deductions to secure fraudulent refunds, costing the U.S. government millions of dollars, federal authorities announced Wednesday.

Mathews Chacko, the owner of the tax preparation business in North Austin, was sentenced to 50 months in prison.

His employees, Anish Pillai and Subhala Suresh, were sentenced to 26 months and 18 months, respectively.