Las Vegas Woman Convicted of Tax Evasion and Embezzlement

A woman convicted in a Las Vegas federal court of embezzling funds and tax evasion was recently sentenced to 63 months in prison. She had earlier pleaded guilty to tax evasion and wire fraud, according to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). The 56 year-old woman was also ordered by the judge in the case to pay restitution of $3.8 million to her embezzled clients and $1.1 million to the IRS. She worked as a payroll manager who took funds from clients for payroll taxes as well as providing reports to them concerning the taxes they had supposedly paid. The reports, called IRS Forms 940 and 941, showed that the funds that had been authorized for transfer had been sent to tax authorities, including the IRS.

The woman made two sets of reports, falsifying one that showed an understated tax liability so that she could pocket the difference between what was really owed and the lower amounts paid. In this way, she embezzled $3.3 million from payroll clients between the years of 2009 and 2011, using the embezzled funds for gambling and personal gain. Not only were the funds stolen from the small business clients she had but these clients received no credit for the full amount of taxes they owed. The case was prosecuted in Las Vegas by the U.S. Attorney's Office in conjunction with the IRS.

Las Vegas Criminal Defense Firm

Tax evasion is a federal white collar crime when funds owed the IRS are not paid. Other white collar crimes include embezzlement, forgery, identity theft, and various types of fraud. Anyone accused of such crimes faces the prospect of a ruined career along with incarceration, fines, probation, and possible restitution to those they have defrauded.

Any criminal charge will put you into the criminal justice system for which you may have little experience or understanding. Getting proper legal representation is crucial if you wish to obtain the most favorable outcome. In Las Vegas, the criminal defense firm of Okabe & Haushalter has earned a well-deserved reputation for effectiveness. Its legal team has gained national recognition, including being named as Newsweek Leading Criminal Defense Attorneys for 2012. Criminal defense cases require competent investigation and understanding of all of the legal factors as well as courtroom skill. Make sure your case is defended properly by contacting the firm to speak to an attorney.