U.S. Attorney's Office - Central District of Illinois

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  NEWS RELEASE
July 18, 2002
For Immediate Release
Media Contact: Sharon Paul • (217) 492-4450

Assistant U.S. Attorney Contact: Patrick J. Chesley• (217) 492-4450


 

Quincy Restaurant Owner Pleads Guilty
to Filing False Tax Returns

Springfield, IL - Jan Paul Miller, United States Attorney for the Central District of Illinois, announced that Jerome H. Vogel, owner and operator of Elder's Restaurant, Inc. in Quincy, Illinois, entered a plea of guilty today to two counts of filing false tax returns. At today's hearing, the judge reserved acceptance of the plea until completion of the pre-sentence report.

According to documents filed with the court, Vogel, age 55, of 2634 Dunbarton Road, Quincy, Illinois, was charged with two counts of signing false tax returns in an Information filed July 12, 2002, in federal court in Springfield. The defendant waived his right to be indicted by a grand jury and agreed to be charged by an Information filed by the U.S. Attorney's Office.

During his plea hearing in federal court today, Vogel admitted that for tax year 1995 he filed a corporate tax return for Elder's Restaurant, Inc. which understated gross receipts by $67,246 and understated dividends by $1,197. On the same return, Vogel also included $3,785 as expenses, when in fact the funds were used to purchase shares of stock in GTE and Coca-Cola.

For tax year 1996, Vogel admitted he filed a false joint individual income tax return in which he failed to report $11,153 in capital gains from stock sales and an additional $81,344 distribution he received from Elders in stock of GTE, Coca-Cola and Pepsico.

Vogel is scheduled for sentencing on November 22, 2002, in Springfield before U.S. District Judge Jeanne E. Scott.

The maximum statutory penalty for each charge of signing a false tax return is up to three years imprisonment and a fine of up to $250,000.

The charges are the result of an investigation conducted by the Criminal Investigation Division of the Internal Revenue Service. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick J. Chesley.

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Friday, July 19, 2002