The United States Attorney's Office

Santa Barbara Accountant Arrested on Federal Tax Charges

LOS ANGELES – A Santa Barbara-based certified public accountant who advertises that he has appeared on most major television networks has been arrested on federal charges of underreporting income on his personal tax returns.

Steven Mark Pybrum, operating his accounting practice under the names of Pybrum and Company, LLP, and Family Business Center, was arrested Friday afternoon by special agents with IRS - Criminal Investigation. Pybrum made his initial appearance in United States District Court this afternoon, where a magistrate judge freed Pybrum on a $150,000 bond.

The Pybrum and Company website – http://www.pybrum.com/founder.html – claims that Pybrum is a “tax and financial planning superstar” who has appeared on NBC, ABC, CBS, Fox, CNN and various news broadcasts.

Pybrum was arrested after being named in a four-count indictment that was returned by a federal grand jury in Los Angeles. The indictment accuses Pybrum of subscribing to false individual income tax returns for the tax years 1999 through 2002. According to the indictment, for the four years in question, Pybrum underreported total income and gross receipts on tax returns that were filed up to three years after they were due.

An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.

If convicted of the four counts in the indictment, Pybrum faces a statutory maximum sentence of 12 years in prison.

The investigation into Pybrum was conducted by special agents with IRS - Criminal Investigation.

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