Crawford County Man Pleads Guilty To Collecting Millions From False Tax Returns

TOPEKA, KAN. - A man from Crawford County, Kan., pleaded guilty Friday to receiving millions of dollars in refunds based on filing false federal tax returns, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said. In addition, the defendant agreed to an order of restitution of more than $4 million.

Jerold D. Fisher, 49, Arma, Kan., pleaded guilty to one count of filing a false federal tax return. In his plea, he admitted that from 2006 to 2009, while he was a registered agent for Fisher Alfalfa Farms, he prepared false federal tax returns both for himself and for his mother in order to receive tax refunds that were not owed to them.

In 2006, he started to test the tax system by filing false income tax returns claiming Fisher Alfalfa Farms had withheld taxes from his wages and paid them to the federal treasury. As a result, he fraudulently received a refund of $17,175. As he continued to fraudulently receive tax refunds without being detected, he increased the amount of his claims. By 2009, he fraudulently claimed withholding of more than $3.8 million on income of more than $8 million.

Sentencing is set for May 27. The parties have agreed to recommend a sentence of 36 months in federal prison. Grissom commended the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigations Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Rich Hathaway for their work on the case.