Moretz, Sutherland & DeHaan Face Prison for Tax Schemes

CHARLOTTE, NC – The IRS and the Department of Justice are sending a clear message to tax dodgers in the Carolinas: cheat the system, and you *will* pay the price. Federal prosecutors are aggressively pursuing tax fraud cases, resulting in convictions and substantial prison sentences. As tax season peaks, authorities warn that those attempting to skirt the law will face the full weight of justice, impacting honest taxpayers.

U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina, Jill Westmoreland Rose, and Thomas J. Holloman, III, Special Agent in Charge of the IRS, Criminal Investigation Division, Charlotte Field Office, recently highlighted several successful prosecutions. “My office will prosecute those who try to cheat the tax system at the expense of honest taxpayers,” Rose stated firmly. Holloman added that IRS agents work year-round to dismantle criminal schemes, focusing on fraudulent returns, identity theft, and concealed income.

Matthew Moretz, 31, of Taylorsville, N.C., is awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty to filing a false tax return. From April 2010 to March 2011, Moretz collected unemployment while simultaneously running MJM Recycling, a scrap metal business. Between 2010 and 2013, Moretz failed to report approximately $529,622.44 in income, resulting in approximately $116,409.38 in unpaid taxes. This wasn’t a simple oversight – it was a deliberate attempt to defraud the government.

The scheme allegedly perpetrated by Patrick Emanuel Sutherland, 48, of Charlotte, was even more elaborate. Sutherland, an actuary and owner of multiple companies, allegedly concealed approximately $2 million in income between 2007 and 2010, utilizing an offshore bank account in Bermuda and domestic sources. He was convicted of filing false tax returns *and* obstructing a federal grand jury investigation. Sutherland, too, is awaiting sentencing for his brazen disregard for the law.

Reuben T. DeHaan, 44, of Kings Mountain, N.C., isn’t just facing tax charges – he’s already behind bars. DeHaan, who operated holistic medicine businesses Health Care Ministries International Inc. and Get Well Stay Well, earned over $2.7 million in gross receipts between 2008 and 2014, yet failed to file any tax returns. DeHaan was sentenced to 24 months in prison for tax evasion *and* possession of an unregistered firearm, proving that multiple offenses will be prosecuted to the fullest extent.

These cases are just the tip of the iceberg. Federal authorities are actively investigating tax crimes throughout North Carolina, and they are determined to hold accountable anyone who attempts to defraud the system. The message is clear: honesty and compliance are not optional. Attempt to cheat the IRS, and you’ll likely end up trading your freedom for a cell.