Self-Proclaimed Priest Sentenced to 54 Months for Tax Fraud
Self-proclaimed priest Earl R. Wolfe was sentenced to 54 months in prison on charges of tax fraud and was ordered to pay $224,869 in restitution. In September, Wolfe was found guilty by a Fort Lauderdale jury of conspiring to defraud the United States and filing false tax returns.
According to court records, from 1999 to 2004, Wolfe reported $600 of income on tax returns he filed with the IRS. However, evidence at trial proved he earned more than $750,000 as an unlicensed architect. Wolfe attempted to conceal his income by cashing more than $600,000 at a local check-cashing store and using nominee entities. Evidence presented at trial also proved that Wolfe had not paid any income tax since 1989.
In addition to concealing his income, Wolfe attempted to hide his assets from the IRS. In October 2003, falsely claiming to be a priest, Wolfe created the Office of the Presiding Overseer of the Domicile Creators Service Ministry, which purported to be a tax-exempt religious entity. Wolfe then transferred ownership of his personal residence and two Harley-Davidson motorcycles to the so-called ministry.
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Tags: defraud the United States, filing false federal tax return, filing false tax return, hiding assets, income tax evasion, tax fraud, tax-exempt religious entity
