Whiting Man Pleads Guilty to Tax Fraud

A man who filed false and fraudulent tax returns pled guilty on February 28, 2018, in federal court in Sioux City.

Kurt Neldeberg, 64, from Whiting, Iowa, was convicted of making a false and fraudulent tax return.

At the plea hearing, Neldeberg admitted that from at least 2009 through 2012, he failed to report a total of approximately $315,512 in income from grain sales which resulted in unpaid and taxes due and owing for those tax years.  Neldeberg admitted he deposited proceeds from grain sales into personal bank accounts, knowing that he was supposed to tell his bookkeeper and tax preparer of these farm grain sales and deposits, but willfully did not inform his bookkeeper nor his tax preparer of these farm grain sales and deposits into personal accounts.  Neldeberg knew that the farm receipts reported on his Schedule F on his joint federal tax returns was incorrect, resulting in underreported income for each of the tax years 2009-2012 and tax losses therefrom.   

Sentencing before United States District Court Judge Mark W. Bennett will be set after a presentence report is prepared.  Neldeberg remains free on bond previously set pending sentencing.  Neldeberg faces a possible maximum sentence of 3 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a special assessment of $100, and not more than one year of supervised release following any imprisonment.  A person convicted of a criminal tax offense, in addition to whatever sentence is imposed, is also required to pay the tax determined to be due, as well as interest and civil penalties that may be assessed.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service. 

Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. 

The case file number is 18-4012.  Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.