FEDS: GA. BUSINESSMAN SKIMMED MORE THAN $500,000 FROM COMPANY
After federal prosecutors in filed a criminal complaint against a businessman that alleges he skimmed more than $500,000 from his company, the Dawsonville, Ga., man pleaded guilty to evasion but disputed the amount of taxes evaded.
Robert Merickle, 59, allegedly filed a false tax return in 2001, which failed to report substantial amounts of income from a company he owned and operated, Blue Haven Pools.
According to court records, Merickle spent more than $200,000 in 2001 from his company’s account for personal expenses, such as a 55-foot luxury yacht, but treated those items as business expenses. He also accepted tens of thousands of dollars in cash from customers, which he kept off the books and tax returns.
Although not charged in the information, the government alleges Merickle engaged in similar conduct from 2002 to 2003, which resulted in more than $500,000 in unreported income.
Merickle has agreed that the 2000, 2002 and 2003 conduct and unreported income will be used to determine his sentence, but disputes the exact amount of the unreported income in those years. He faces up to three years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.
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Tags: false tax return, tax cases, tax evasion
