Ohio Psychiatrist Pleads Guilty to Tax Evasion

An Oregon, Ohio, psychiatrist pleaded guilty to tax evasion today in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, announced Acting Assistant Attorney General Caroline D. Ciraolo of the Justice Department’s Tax Division.

Sandra Vonderembse admitted that despite earning compensation in excess of $240,000 per year from 2009 through 2011 as a psychiatrist working for multiple businesses and the state of Ohio, she falsely claimed zero taxable income and zero tax owing for each of those years on federal tax returns.  In tax years stretching back to 2005, Vonderembse failed to pay taxes due on her income and filed tax returns falsely claiming taxable income as “None.”  From 2005 to 2011, she also had her earnings paid to nominee entities to conceal income from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and sent fake financial instruments to the IRS in purported payment of her taxes.  

Vonderembse faces a statutory maximum sentence of five years in prison, as well as a term of supervised release.  She has agreed to pay restitution to the IRS in the amount of $565,000. 

Acting Assistant Attorney General Ciraolo commended special agents of IRS - Criminal Investigation, who investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Noah Hood and Trial Attorneys Jack Morgan and Jeffrey McLellan of the Justice Department’s Tax Division, who are prosecuting the case.

Additional information about the Tax Division and its enforcement efforts may be found on the division website.