Evade, and then Skip Out

Karen and Charles Petersen of Nowthen, Minnesota were indicted back in 2005 for tax evasion. The government alleged that they hid their income in a trust, and then used the trust to pay personal and business expenses. After they were convicted in March 2006, the couple decided to evade the sentence by becoming fugitives.

That worked for a while, but US Marshals caught the couple in December. Yesterday, Karen Petersen found out her sentence (her husband passed away before sentencing): 15 months, restitution of $181,500 in tax (plus penalties and interest), and a $7,500 fine.

When you become a fugitive, judges tend to be quite strict when sentencing. Ms. Petersen may have had a few months extra of freedom, but she paid with a tougher sentence.

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