Suite 2001
                                                                                                211 West Fort Street
                                                                                                Detroit, Michigan 48226-3277

For Immediate Release:

Contact: Gina Balaya (313) 226-9758

June 13, 2003
 

United States Attorney Jeffrey G. Collins announced that Seth Murdock, age 46, of Detroit, was sentenced yesterday by United States District Judge Gerald Rosen to 27 months imprisonment, together with a $4,000 fine, three years of supervised release with 500 hours of community service, plus the cost of bringing witnesses to Detroit for his anticipated trial, after pleading guilty on the day of trial in January to causing a false Release of Levy to be filed with the Internal Revenue Service in 1999.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Lynn Helland, who prosecuted the case, stated that, "In 1999 Mr. Murdock's sister, Dr. Gloria Pitts, owed about $132,000 in back taxes. The IRS levied Dr. Pitts' wages in an effort to collect those taxes. Mr. Murdock attempted to get the levy released by submitting a forged IRS Release of Levy to Dr. Pitts' employer. When that did not cause the levy to be lifted, Mr. Murdock purported to pay Dr. Pitts' tax bill with a $132,000 check that was drawn on a closed bank account."

Judge Rosen noted that Mr. Murdock, although obviously a very talented individual, had a lengthy criminal history involving conduct similar to that with which he was convicted on this occasion. Judge Rosen rejected Mr. Murdock's pleas for leniency based on his desire to provide for his family. Judge Rosen also rejected Mr. Murdock's argument that he believed the IRS's claim regarding Dr. Pitts' taxes was erroneous and therefore only intended to obtain for Dr. Pitts what was due to her, rather than intend to cause any loss to the IRS.

Mr. Collins commended the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration for its thorough and professional investigation of this matter.