Hutchinson Woman Sentenced On False Tax Claim, Firearms Charges

WICHITA, KAN. -  A Hutchinson woman was sentenced to three years on supervised release and ordered to pay more than $19,000 in restitution for filing false tax returns and violating a federal law prohibiting her from having a gun, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said.

Rhonda J. Simmons, 41, Hutchinson, Kan., pleaded guilty to one count of presenting a false tax claim and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm after a felony conviction. In her plea, she admitted that on April 15, 2012, she prepared a false income tax return seeking a refund of $3,014.

On Aug. 14, 2012, the Hutchinson Police Department executed a search warrant on the residence where she was living in Hutchinson. They seized a 20 gauge shotgun belonging to Simmons. She was prohibited from possessing a firearm because she had been convicted of a felony in 2007 in Georgia.

Grissom commended the Internal Revenue Service, the Hutchinson Police Department and Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Treaster for their work on the case.