Wyoming Station Owner Susan Patrick Pleads Guilty to Tax Evasion

A Wyoming woman pleaded guilty to tax evasion last week.

On Thursday, Aug. 31, the U.S. Department of Justice's Office of Public Affairs released information that Susan K. Patrick -- a resident of Cody, Wyoming -- co-owned a media brokerage firm with her husband. In hoping to evade paying the full amount of taxes owed, Patrick doctored personal returns by hiding over 9.5 million dollars in income that she and her husband had earned from 2012 to 2014.

In total, Patrick attempted to evade paying more than 2.5 million dollars in taxes.

Patrick faces a maximum statutory penalty of three years in prison. She also faces a term of supervised release, monetary penalties, and restitution. A federal district court judge will decide any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Patrick issued a statement apologizing for the "pain and embarrassment" that her action have caused her family, friends, and all those she has worked with "including the dedicated people across the state of Wyoming that do such a great job" at their radio stations every day to serve their communities.

“This is a tax obligation that I will be held accountable for based on a very serious lapse of judgement a decade or more ago. I am fully ready to be held accountable and to do whatever I can and need to do to make up for my decisions of the past.”

Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron for the District of Maryland made the announcement.

IRS-Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.

Assistant Chief Thomas F. Koelbl and Trial Attorney Matthew L. Cofer of the Tax Division are prosecuting the case.