Wyoming Man Pleads Guilty to Tax Fraud

Sonny Pilcher of Casper, Wyoming, pleaded guilty to tax fraud today in the U.S. District Court for the District of Wyoming, the Justice Department and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced. The sentencing hearing was set for Oct. 28, 2014 before U.S District Judge Alan B. Johnson.

According to the charging document, Pilcher attempted to obstruct and impede the IRS. Pilcher did this by claiming a false bad debt expense of $258,000 on his 2008 Form 1040 tax return, and by paying his employees in cash to evade paying employment taxes. Pilcher faces a statutory maximum sentence of 36 months in prison, a $250,000 fine and may be ordered to pay restitution to the IRS.

This case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Lori A. Hendrickson and Ignacio Perez de la Cruz of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and was investigated by IRS – Criminal Investigation Special Agents in the Cheyenne, Wyoming, field office.