SPOKANE COUNTY, Wash. — A former Spokane County employee pleaded guilty Wednesday to two counts of willfully failing to file federal income tax returns.
54-year-old Rhonda Ackerman was employed at the Spokane County Department of Risk Management. While she was an employee with the county, she failed to file federal income tax returns in 2014, 2015 and 2016, according to court documents.
Ackerman will serve one year in jail, a $100,000 fine, followed by a one-year term of parole. Ackerman will also have to pay restitution and prosecution costs for each count of conviction.
"Each of us is responsible for filing a tax return when required and for paying the correct amount of tax due. While working for Spokane County, Ms. Ackerman chose to ignore her duty to file and pay taxes and will now face the consequences," U.S. Attorney Vanessa R. Waldref said.
Court documents state the U.S. will recommend a longer sentence for Ackerman. Her failure to report the source of income exceeding $10,000 in any year due to criminal activity, use of a minor to commit a crime and abuse of a position of public trust all contribute to a possibly longer sentence for Ackerman.
A judge will determine any sentence for Ackerman after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Ackerman is scheduled to be sentenced on May 16, 2023, at 10 a.m.
In Spokane County Superior Court, Ackerman was convicted on one count of first-degree theft. On January 4, 2023, she was sentenced to serve a year in state prison and required to repay Spokane County $1.3 million in public funds, which she stole over a decade while employed with the county.
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