Federal Judges Sentence Five; Tax Cheat Ordered To Pay $143,000 In Back Taxes
Federal judges in Wyoming sentenced three men and two women recently for crimes including tax evasion, drugs, and stolen property, according to a news release from the Wyoming U.S. Attorney's Office.
Chief U.S. District Court Judge Nancy Freudenthal sentenced Jaime Nieto, 53, of Rock Springs for tax evasion and misuse of a Social Security number. He received 21 months imprisonment, to be followed by three years of probation. Freudenthal ordered him to pay a $200 special assessment and $143,243.73 in restitution for unpaid taxes and interest.
A jury convicted Nieto in July. The evidence showed he filed income tax returns for tax years 2007-2011 which reported taxes due. Nieto made some tax payments but never paid all of his income taxes for these tax years.
When the Internal Revenue Service attempted to collect the unpaid income taxes, Nieto unlawfully concealed assets available to pay the tax debt by opening and maintaining bank accounts using a Social Security number which did not belong to him. He also used his business checking account for his personal expenses, and the IRS could not levy that to collect his personal tax debt. This case was investigated by Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigations.
U.S. District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl sentenced Ginger Eva Ephrim, 20, for conspiracy to transport stolen property through interstate commerce. Ephrim was arrested in Phoenix. She received one year and one day imprisonment, to be followed by two years of probation. Skavdahl also ordered her to pay a $100 special assessment and $21,012 in restitution. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Skavdahl sentenced Lander residents Timothy Mulford, 31, and Maria Tillman, 27, for theft of personal property and aiding and abetting. Mulford and Tillman were arrested in Missoula, Mont. Both received three years of probation. They also were ordered to pay a $100 special assessment each; and to pay, joint and several, $9,050.00 in restitution to Hines General Store. This case was investigated by the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs.
Skavdahl also sentenced Riverton resident Luke Jackson Tilghman, 33, for possession with intent to distribute marijuana. He received five years imprisonment, which coupled with a sentence in state court means he will spend about nine years in prison. The judge also ordered him to pay a $100 special assessment, $2,000 in restitution, and will be placed on four years of probation. This case was investigated by the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation.
Skavdahl sentenced Stacey Irene Rodgers, 38, of Rock Springs for wrongful conversion of Social Security income. From June 2014 through March 2015, the Social Security Administration (SSA) sent monthly payments to her despite the fact her son was then living with his father. Rodgers failed to report this change of circumstances to the SSA and knowingly converted those monies to her own use. Rodgers received three years of probation and was ordered to pay a $100 special assessment and pay $13,083 in restitution.
This case was investigated by the Social Security Administration.