News and Press Releases
Minnesota man sentenced for filing a false tax return
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 21, 2011
MINNEAPOLIS – Earlier today in federal court, a Minnesota man was sentenced for filing
a false tax return. United States District Court Judge Joan N. Ericksen sentenced Gary Benedict
Winkler to five years of probation on one count of filing a false tax return. He was charged on
July 16, 2009, and pleaded guilty on August 21, 2009.
In his plea agreement, Winkler admitted filing a false 2003 tax return, in which he failed to
report approximately $101,913 in income. In addition, Winkler admitted filing false tax returns
for tax years 2001, 2002, and 2004, for a total tax loss of approximately $67,677. The
government’s investigation showed that, as the controller for Woodline Manufacturing, Inc.,
Winkler had access to the company’s books and records and took the opportunity to write a
number of checks to himself on Woodline’s bank account. Specifically, during the years 2001
through 2004, Winkler wrote checks to himself totaling approximately $242,121. Winkler
willfully failed to report any of this income on his tax returns for those years.
This case was the result of an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal
Investigation Division. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole A. Engisch.
Per U.S. Department of Justice policy, the U.S. Attorney’s Office is not allowed to provide the age and city of residence for defendants charged in criminal tax cases.
