Kenneth Fowler, Tax Evasion, Florida 2018

Tampa Man Charged With Preparing False Tax Returns

A Tampa man has been charged with preparing false federal income tax returns, announced United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg. Kenneth Fowler faces a maximum penalty of three years’ imprisonment as to each count if convicted.

According to an indictment, between December 2013 and August 2018, Fowler, who was working as a payroll coordinator at the Salvation Army Suncoast Adult Rehabilitation Center in St. Petersburg, engaged in a scheme to embezzle funds from the Salvation Army. He altered records to reflect that employees who had left the employment of the Salvation Army were still on its payroll, allowing him to collect their paychecks and ultimately forge their signatures and deposit those checks into his own personal bank accounts.

Fowler also misdirected direct deposit checks from the former employees’ bank accounts into his own personal bank account. In this manner, Fowler obtained more than $239,000 in Salvation Army funds to which he was not entitled. He then failed to include those stolen funds as income on his 2016, 2017, and 2018 Individual Income Tax Returns, avoiding the payment of substantial taxes due and owing to the United States.

An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.

The case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation, with assistance from the Pinellas Park Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jay L. Hoffer.

Kenneth Fowler, Defendant: Kenneth Fowler

Criminal Charges: Three counts of making and filing false federal income tax returns

City and State: Tampa, Florida

Date of Crime: Between the end of December 2013 and August 2018

Sentence or Outcome: Maximum penalty of three years’ imprisonment as to each count if convicted, pending trial

Dollar Amount: $239,000

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-mdfl/pr/tampa-man-charged-preparing-false-tax-returns