William Patrick Vogt, Tax Fraud Scheme, Missouri 2023

Business Owner Pleads Guilty to $544,000 Tax Fraud Scheme

Kansas City, Mo. – William Patrick Vogt, 39, pleaded guilty in federal court today to a more than $544,000 tax fraud scheme.

Vogt, the owner of By The Blade, LLC, a lawn and landscape company in Parkville, Mo., waived his right to a grand jury and pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Howard F. Sachs to a federal information that charges him with one count of false statements on a tax return.

According to today’s plea agreement, Vogt admitted that he underreported his business receipts on individual federal income tax returns for 2013-2015, resulting in a total federal tax loss of $468,587.

Vogt deposited business receipts into his personal account in order to conceal his business income. He also cashed By The Blade checks rather than deposit them into his business bank account. Vogt only reported as business income the receipts he chose to deposit into his business bank account.

When the IRS audited him, Vogt made false statements to the revenue agent and others. Vogt also understated his income on his Missouri state income tax returns for 2013 – 2015, resulting in a state tax loss of $75,712.

Under the terms of today’s plea agreement, Vogt must pay restitution to the IRS of $468,587 and restitution to the state of Missouri of $75,712.

Under federal statutes, Vogt is subject to a sentence of up to three years in federal prison without parole.

A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdmo/pr/business-owner-pleads-guilty-544000-tax-fraud-scheme