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Aberdeen Doctor’s Tax Scam Lands Her 5 Years of Probation
Heloise Westbrook, MD, a former Aberdeen doctor, has been sentenced in a tax case that exposed a web of deceit and deception. The 61-year-old doctor, now living in Owensboro, Kentucky, was convicted of three misdemeanor charges of Fraudulent Returns, Statements, or Other Documents.
The case unfolded in 2017, when Westbrook was sentenced to five years of probation on each count, to run concurrently. In addition to her probation, she was ordered to pay $184,871.21 in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and a fine of $8,800.00. A $75 special assessment was also levied against her.
Westbrook’s sentence also included a stint in the Daviess County Detention Center in Kentucky, where she will serve 100 days. She will spend two days and two nights each consecutive weekend for a period of 50 weeks.
The investigation, conducted by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigations Division, revealed that Westbrook had filed corporate income tax returns, in addition to personal income tax returns, for her medical practice in Aberdeen. However, a civil audit identified numerous entries that Westbrook had claimed as business expenses but were, in fact, personal expenses incurred to pay for her own wedding celebration.
Westbrook’s medical practice, which operated between 2004 and 2010, was organized as a wholly-owned professional corporation. The case highlighted the importance of accurate financial reporting and the consequences of attempting to deceive the IRS.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Koliner prosecuted the case, which was the result of a thorough investigation by the IRS. The conviction serves as a reminder that tax evasion and financial crimes will not be tolerated.
Westbrook, a medical doctor with a long-standing practice in Aberdeen, pleaded guilty to three misdemeanor charges of Fraudulent Returns, Statements, or Other Documents on December 2, 2016. Her case serves as a cautionary tale for individuals who attempt to manipulate the tax system for personal gain.
Key Facts
- State: South Dakota
- Category: White Collar Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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