Press Release
Contact:
JULIE ANN WOODS
ASSISTANT U.S. ATTORNEY
PHONE: (616) 456-2406
LAKEVIEW LAWN CARE OWNERS INDICTED FOR FALSE CLAIMS
TO INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE
THURSDAY, APRIL 16, 2009 -
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - Jonathon Lee Fancett, 40, and his wife Angela Marie
Fancett, 39, of Lakeview, Michigan, have been charged by a federal grand jury with one count of
conspiring to defraud the United States Department of Treasury, Internal Revenue Service,
through the filing of false claims and seven counts of filing false claims against the Internal
Revenue Service in relation to refunds claimed on joint federal income tax returns in the years
2001, 2003 through 2006 and on separate federal income tax returns in 2007, United States
Attorney Donald A. Davis announced today.
According to the indictment, Jonathon Fancett has been the owner of Lakeview Lawn Care since its inception in 2000 and Angela Fancett was the bookkeeper for the company. The indictment alleges that the Fancetts claimed to be W-2 wage earners for the company and that Lakeview Lawn Care never filed federal payroll tax returns nor paid federal employment taxes for the years 2001 through 2007, with the exception of one Form 941 for the first quarter of 2003. The indictment further alleges that the Fancetts filed their 2001 and 2003 through 2007 tax returns claiming that federal income taxes had been withheld from their income and that they were entitled to refunds for the withheld taxes, when in fact no tax had been withheld from their wages and they were not entitled to any refunds. The refunds claimed on the returns totaled $166,366.
Conspiracy to defraud the United States government through false claims carries a maximum penalty of 10 years’ imprisonment and a $250,000 fine. Each count of filing false claims against the government carries a maximum penalty of 5 years’ imprisonment and a $250,000 fine.
This case was investigated by Special Agents of IRS CID and is being prosecuted by
Assistant U.S. Attorney Julie Ann Woods.
The charges against this Fancetts are only allegations. The Fancetts are presumed
innocent until and unless proven guilty in a court of law.
END
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