Home Healthcare Business Owner Pleads Guilty To Employment Tax Charge

CINCINNATI, OHIO – Peggy Dossman, 42, of Lawrenceburg, Indiana, pleaded guilty to one count of willfully failing to pay over employment taxes to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).  Dossman faces a maximum of five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.

Carter M. Stewart, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Kathy A. Enstrom, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Cincinnati Field Office, and James Vanderberg, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General announced the guilty plea entered today before Chief U.S. District Judge Susan J. Dlott.

According to court documents, between 2003 and 2010 Dossman was a partner in a home health care business known as Southwest Home Healthcare.  During the 2008 and 2009 income tax years, Dossman and her partner deducted and collected income taxes and Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA) taxes from the wages of the employees of Southwest Home Healthcare, but failed to remit those employment taxes to the IRS.

Dossman agreed to pay restitution to the IRS in the amount of $352,472.77 for the employment taxes not remitted to the IRS for the first and second quarters of 2008 and for all four quarters of 2009.  In addition, Dossman agreed to pay restitution to the State of Ohio in the amount of $6,573.14.

Dossman was released on bond, pending sentencing, on a date to be determined by Judge Dlott.

On May 13, 2014, Gina Kerth, 45, of Harrison, Ohio, who was also a partner in Southwest Home Healthcare, pleaded guilty before Senior U.S. District Judge Herman J. Weber to one count of willfully failing to pay over employment taxes to the IRS.  Kerth was released on bond and a sentencing date was set for September 10, 2014.

"IRS Criminal Investigation realizes the detrimental consequences of employment tax evasion. It results in the loss of tax revenue to the United States government and the loss of future social security or Medicare benefits for the employees," stated Kathy A. Enstrom, Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Cincinnati Field Office.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Timothy S. Mangan and was investigated by special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation and the U.S. Department of Labor.
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