Columbus, Ohio, Accountant Sentenced to 120 Months for Fraud

The U.S. Department of Justice reports in its press release (quotation, not an independent finding): “WASHINGTON – Dennis G. Sartain of Hilliard, Ohio, was sentenced to 120 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Michael H. Watson, the Justice Department and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced today. The judge found the tax loss to be more than $1million and the fraud loss to be nearly $3.7 million. In November 2007, a federal grand jury returned a superseding indictment against Sartain, charging him with conspiracy to defraud the United States, four counts of aiding in the filing of false tax returns, one count of aiding and abetting credit and loan application fraud and one count of aiding and abetting money laundering. In February 2008, Sartain pleaded guilty to all charges. According to court documents, Sartain was the accountant for two Columbus, Ohio, businesses involved in home building and real estate brokerage services. According to the indictment, Sartain conspired with others to pay the Realtors and others who worked for these two companies "under the table." Court documents asserted that Sartain either prepared false Forms 1099 that underreported the amount of compensation paid to the individuals working for the companies, or he did not prepare and file any Forms 1099 with the IRS reporting any compensation paid. In addition, the superseding indictment alleged that Sartain prepared or helped prepare false individual income tax returns that underreported the income earned and taxes owed by the individuals who had received payments from these companies. Finally, the indictment claimed that Sartain and others shredded and discarded documents and business recor”