Cleveland man faces tax charges

A grand jury returned an indictment charging Gerald D. Dotson, 45, of Cleveland, with 27 counts of filing false tax returns, said Steven M. Dettelbach, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio.

The indictment alleges that Dotson filed a series of false tax returns during 2011, 2012, and 2013 claiming falsified wage income and tax credit information for individuals resulting in at least $139,675 in fraudulent refunds.  The indictment further alleges that in some instances, Dotson requested that portions of the refunds be directed to bank accounts directly and indirectly controlled by him.

“The nation’s tax system should not be seen as a free standing ATM for criminals to ransack at will for personal enrichment,” said Kathy Enstrom, Special Agent in Charge, IRS-Criminal Investigation, Cincinnati Field Office. “Honest taxpayers are the real victims with these schemes and IRS-CI will ensure those responsible are held accountable for their actions.”

If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense, and the characteristics of the violation.  In all cases, the sentences will not exceed the statutory maximum and in most cases they will be less than the maximum.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney M. Kendra Klump following an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation.

An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt.  A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.