Phoenix accountant sentenced to 3 years in prison for stealing tax refunds
Sep 27, 2019, 3:30 PM
Erik Ketelaar (YouTube Screenshot/RDAP DAN)
(YouTube Screenshot/RDAP DAN)
PHOENIX – A Phoenix accountant who catered to Hispanic communities has been sentenced to three years behind bars for stealing clients’ tax refund money.
Erik Allen Ketelaar, 34, was also ordered to pay $573,000 in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service, third-party processors and individual taxpayers, according to a press release last week from the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
After serving his time, Ketelaar will be under supervised release for three years.
A U.S. District Court judge in Phoenix handed down the sentence after Ketelaar pleaded guilty to wire fraud, the release said.
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Ketelaar owned and operated Tio Sam Taxes, which had five offices in Phoenix and Mesa, in 2013 and 2014, according to the release.
Most of Tio Sam’s clients had their refunds sent to bank accounts or addresses controlled by Ketelaar. The release said he stole more than $500,000 after gaining access to the refunds.
In July 2017, Ketelaar was indicted on 18 counts each of mail fraud, aggravated identity theft and wire fraud.
The release didn’t specify which charges were part of the plea deal.
In 2015, ABC15 reported that Ketelaar surrendered his CPA license to the state accountancy board in the wake of complaints lodged about his business practices.
In 2014, the Phoenix New Times reported that Tio Sam advertised on Univision, circulated bilingual fliers and hired homeless people dressed as Uncle Sam to twirl signs at intersections.
