Stephen R. Wigginton, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, announced today that on March 13, 2012, David Bartels, 42, of Desoto, Illinois, pled guilty in United States District Court, Benton, to four counts of Tax Evasion and one count of being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm. Each of the Tax Evasion offenses carries a statutory maximum possible punishment of up to three years’ in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a period of supervised release of up to one year. The Possession of a Firearm by a Felon charge carries a statutory maximum possible punishment of up to 10 years’ in prison, a $250,000 fine, and up to 3 years’ supervised release. All counts require the payment of a $100 special assessment. Sentencing is currently scheduled for June 14, 2012, at 10:00 a.m.

During his plea, Bartels admitted that he filed false tax returns that failed to claim over $1,000,000 he obtained by various fraudulent actions between 2005 and 2008. He also admitted to possessing multiple firearms even though he was a convicted felon.

The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, and the Criminal Investigation Division of the Internal Revenue Service. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ranley Killian.

In order to report tax fraud contact the Criminal Investigation Division of the Internal Revenue Service at 618-622-2160.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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