FULDA - A Fulda couple accused of fraudulently failing to declare more than $300,0000 in joint income tax returns over four years appeared Monday in Murray County District Court.
Charges were filed in June against Philip, 38, and Brittney, 33, Kramer after more than a year-long investigation of the couple’s financial activities by the Murray County Sheriff’s Office.
The Kramers each face four counts of filing false or fraudulent tax returns, all felonies, and four counts of failing to pay income tax liability. Each charge is punishable up to five years imprisonment, a $10,000 fine or both.
According to the criminal complaint, the investigation - initiated in March 2017 - analyzed various financial records, including bank accounts, income tax returns from a bank, a hired tax preparer and Minnesota Department of Revenue and grain elevator operators.
According to the Kramers’ tax preparer, the couple had provided him a binder with relevant information pertaining to their farm bank account. Certain income within that account was recorded as non-taxable by the tax preparer, due to some deposited check copies being withheld by the Kramers, the complaint states.
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The investigation also found the Kramers had allegedly not disclosed their own primary checking account, and checking and savings accounts for their five children, to their tax accountant. The Kramers also allegedly negotiated checks for cash or paid directly to a vendor to purchase goods, which were in turn not disclosed to the tax preparer, the complaint states.
The investigation also found the Kramers had access to more than $400,000 in loan money through their bank account. During that year, the couple wrote checks exceeding their reported taxable income for that same year. That amount not only exceeded the taxable income they reported, but also their accessible loan money. They did not overdraft their account, the complaint concludes.
