Fraud Over the Holiday

I hope you’re enjoying the Labor Day weekend. These individuals didn’t have a pleasant holiday.

>From Shreveport, Louisiana comes the story of bozo tax preparer Betty Jean Thomas. Thomas had a not-so-good way of helping her clients: she invented phony business expenses. Even worse, those clients didn’t have a business. The total cost to the government was $67,000. Ms. Thomas received a year and a day at ClubFed and must pay a $3,000 fine.

We previously told you the story of Athanasios Reglas. Mr. Reglas invented some phony companies to create phony deductions. He pleaded guilty last week, and was sentenced to three years at ClubFed followed by three years of supervised release. He previously forfeited $358,000 in cash that was found when he was arrested.

I also previously wrote about Reverend John Henry Walker. The Charlotte pastor was sentenced last week to five years and three months for tax evasion and stealing from his congregation. The pastor had pleaded guilty to charges of tax evasion, bank fraud, and lying to federal agents. He also must make restitution of $277,000. He used his purloined funds for erectile dysfunction medication, two cars (a Lexus and a Mercedes), and a new home. He evaded taxes on $750,000.

Finally, Joe Roth reported on the case of Lakeland, Florida dentist Nancy Montgomery-Ware. She decided to research the tax laws, and “determined” that, “The income tax is not allowable under the Constitution.” That’s what she said during closing arguments during her trial for tax evasion. According to the Lakeland Ledger, it only took one afternoon to find her guilty. She’s looking at several years at ClubFed. Interestingly enough, her husband told her that she was crazy. It would have been much less costly for her to listen to her husband. But she didn’t, and she’ll have to pay the consequences.

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