A Honolulu tax accountant has plead guilty to assisting in the filing of a false income tax return to the Internal Revenue Service.

Merla Balubar also pleaded guilty Tuesday to willfully filing a false joint IRS tax return form.

U.S. Attorney Florence Nakakuni said Balubar faces up to three years in prison and fines of up to $250,000 for each count when she’s sentenced in November.

Prosecutors said IRS investigators studied a random sampling of tax returns prepared by Balubar. All 79 returns they randomly reviewed were found to falsely overstate deductible expenses.

Prosecutors said the Ewa Beach resident has agreed to pay more than $230,000 in restitution for preparing false tax returns and more than $96,000 for preparing her own false joint tax returns.