A Suffolk tax preparer pleaded guilty in federal court on Tuesday to charges that he assisted in preparing and presenting false tax returns and willfully failed to file others.

Modeste Nigel Parsons, 46, failed to file his own returns from 2004 to 2008, incurring a total criminal tax loss of $263,316, according to U.S. Attorney Neil H. MacBride.

During the period in question, Parsons operated a tax preparation service in several cities, most recently in Suffolk, MacBride said in a press release. During that time, he stated, Parsons also falsified a tax return for an undercover IRS agent and provided false documents regarding his own returns and his failure to deduct and pay employee taxes, FICA, Medicare, Social Security and unemployment tax payments.

The case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alan M. Salsbury and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney James Metcalfe.

Parsons, who entered his guilty plea before U.S. District Judge Raymond A. Jackson, will be sentenced Nov. 3. He faces a maximum of eight years in prison.