Contact: Gina Balaya (313) 226-9758

Stephen Moore, IRS CI (313) 628-3307
 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
 

    Jeffrey Collins, United States Attorney, and Mark Kroczynski, Special Agent in Charge of Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, announced that John W. Barcume, 50, of Clinton Township, Michigan, was sentenced on July 16, 2002, to two years probation with the first six months to be served in home confinement. Mr. Barcume also received a $10,000 fine and must make arrangements to pay back taxes of over $27,500 to the Internal Revenue Service. This sentence resulted from his guilty plea to count two of the indictment on April 3, 2002, to filing a false 1995 U.S. Corporate tax return, signed under penalties of perjury. United States District Judge Nancy G. Edmunds handed down the sentence.
 

    Mr. Collins stated, "Mr. Barcume, President and controlling shareholder of J.B. Accounting, Inc., Clinton Township, Michigan, knowingly filed a 1994 and 1995 false U.S. Corporate tax return, signed under penalties of perjury, by deducting his daughter's, Theresa Distefano, wages on the corporate returns. Ms. Distefano was neither an active employee of the corporation nor earned any wages during this time period. Mr. Barcume also failed to accurately reflect J.B. Accounting, Inc.'s correct gross receipts from tax preparation fees and from other monthly accounting services on these tax returns."

    Mr. Kroczynski stated, "Mr. Barcume's corporation was paid to keep people out of trouble with the Internal Revenue Service by accurately reflecting their finances and, ironically, he knowingly filed false corporate returns himself. Mr. Barcume will still not only have to pay his fair share of taxes, along with interest and penalties to the Internal Revenue Service, but will also have to comply with the consequences of a felony conviction, criminal fine and home confinement." Mr. Collins commended the agents of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation for their work in this investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Walter I. Kozar prosecuted the case.