She Was Trusted to File a Enterprise Proprietor’s Taxes. The Case Ended With $47,484 in Restitution

A Wisconsin enterprise proprietor thought a good friend was dealing with private and enterprise taxes. The case led to Manitowoc County courtroom with theft and forgery convictions, seven years of probation, and greater than $47,000 in restitution.

Katherym Feo-Rodriguez, 46, of Manitowoc, was convicted after getting into no-contest pleas to theft by false illustration and forgery-related expenses, in keeping with Seehafer News.

Wisconsin Law Journal, carrying a USA Right this moment Community report, stated the sufferer advised police that cash had been taken below the guise of getting ready and submitting taxes.

Police discovered that Feo-Rodriguez finally took greater than $42,000 from the sufferer by means of false funds or by withholding tax refund checks and depositing them into her personal account, in keeping with the report.

The Sufferer Thought Taxes Had been Being Filed

A Manitowoc girl charged with embezzling a number of hundreds of {dollars} from a neighborhood enterprise has been convicted. https://t.co/N5F0QfFNSd

— Seehafer Information (@SeehaferNews) June 16, 2026

The sufferer advised police they had been associates with Feo-Rodriguez and had an association for her to file private and enterprise taxes in change for discounted providers from the Manitowoc enterprise, Wisconsin Legislation Journal reported.

Seehafer Information recognized the enterprise as Darcy Woo Grooming and stated the proprietor employed Feo-Rodriguez in 2019 to deal with private and enterprise taxes.

Based on the criticism summarized by Wisconsin Legislation Journal, the sufferer believed Feo-Rodriguez had ready and filed private and enterprise taxes with the Wisconsin Division of Income and the Inside Income Service for tax years 2018 by means of 2023.

Brokers with each the Wisconsin DOR and the IRS advised police the sufferer’s private and enterprise taxes had been both filed late or not filed in any respect, the report stated.

Investigators Discovered Cash Going Someplace Else

Seehafer Information reported that Feo-Rodriguez filed the enterprise’s 2018 by means of 2020 particular person tax returns late and didn’t file returns for 2021 and 2022.

The native report additionally stated $43,000 was transferred from the sufferer’s account to Feo-Rodriguez’s account, whereas solely $1,780 was used to pay the enterprise’s taxes.

Wisconsin Legislation Journal reported a barely completely different framing from the criticism: police discovered that Feo-Rodriguez finally took greater than $42,000 both by means of false funds or by withholding tax refund checks and depositing them into her personal account.

The Jail Sentences Had been Withheld

Throughout a June 12 plea and sentencing listening to in Manitowoc County Circuit Courtroom, Feo-Rodriguez was convicted of felony theft and one depend of felony forgery, in keeping with Wisconsin Legislation Journal.

Two different forgery expenses had been dismissed. Seehafer Information reported that the dismissed forgery expenses had been learn into the report.

Choose Robert Dewane sentenced Feo-Rodriguez to a few and a half years in state jail on one depend and three years in state jail on the opposite, Wisconsin Legislation Journal reported. Each jail sentences had been withheld, and she or he was positioned on probation for seven years.

She was additionally ordered to pay $47,484 in restitution to the sufferer.

She Can’t Put together Taxes For Others

Seehafer Information reported that Feo-Rodriguez can’t put together taxes for anybody aside from herself, can’t handle monetary accounts aside from her personal, and can’t contact the sufferer or the enterprise.

Wisconsin Legislation Journal reported that the probation phrases additionally embrace counseling, sustaining employment, no contact with the sufferer apart from restitution funds, and no tax preparation or administration of economic accounts for anybody besides herself and her husband.

The IRS tells taxpayers to decide on paid preparers fastidiously and says paid preparers should signal returns and embrace a sound Preparer Tax Identification Quantity. The company additionally has a course of for reporting suspected tax return preparer fraud or misconduct.

The company’s Taxpayer Advocate Service says victims of tax return preparer fraud ought to contact native police and file IRS Kind 14157-A. In Manitowoc, the courtroom order now bars Feo-Rodriguez from getting ready taxes for others whereas she serves seven years of probation.