Georgia Dentist Sentenced To Jail For Tax Evasion

WASHINGTON – Dr. Dayo Obebe of Muscogee County, Georgia, was sentenced today to serve 12 months and one day in prison for tax evasion and ordered to pay $189,661 in restitution, announced Assistant Attorney General Kathryn Keneally of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Michael J. Moore for the Middle District of Georgia.  Obebe pleaded guilty to one count of tax evasion on Feb. 6, 2014.

According to court documents, Obebe is a dentist licensed in Georgia and Alabama, where he operated the Moon Road Cosmetic & Family Dentistry in Columbus, Georgia, and the Brent Dental Dentistry in Brent, Alabama.  In 2004, Obebe began intentionally concealing money he earned from patients who paid with credit cards from his accountants and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) by placing credit card payments into a separate bank account from cash and check receipts.  Consequently, Obebe intentionally underreported his total income from the dental practices on his 2004, 2005 and 2006 federal income tax returns by more than $500,000 and falsely claimed a tax refund.

According to court documents, during an IRS audit of Obebe’s tax return, he lied to the IRS revenue agent conducting the audit when he stated that the dental practices did not accept credit cards as a form of payment for dental services when, in fact, the dental practice did accept credit cards.  In total, Obebe evaded paying over $185,000 in taxes to the IRS on his 2004, 2005 and 2006 federal income tax returns.

The case was investigated by special agents of IRS - Criminal Investigation and Trial Attorney Charles Edgar for the Tax Division prosecuted the case.

Inquiries regarding the case should be directed to Pamela Lightsey, United States Attorney's Office at (478) 621-2603.