ABINGDON, VIRGINIA – United States Attorney John P. Fishwick Jr. announced today the sentencing of a Hillsville man on a bank fraud charge and tax evasion charge.
Robert Donald Morgan III, 44, of Hillsville, Va., previously pled guilty to one count of bank fraud and one count of conspiracy to willfully fail to pay taxes. Tuesday in the United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia in Abingdon, Morgan was sentenced to six months imprisonment and ordered to pay $284,796 in restitution.
“This defendant betrayed his duties as a bookkeeper and accountant for his own personal gain,” United States Attorney John P. Fishwick said today. “I am grateful to the agents and investigators who worked hard to bring this defendant to justice.”
“Today’s sentencing serves as a reminder that committing fraud is inexcusable and IRS-CI is committed to working with the United States Attorney’s Office to bring culpable individuals to justice,” said Thomas Jankowski, Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Washington D.C. Field Office.
According to evidence presented at previous hearings by Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer R. Bockhorst, between April 2013 and March 2015, Morgan executed a scheme to defraud Grayson National bank through a series of false representations. Morgan has admitted that while working as a bookkeeper and accountant for Company A, he fraudulently caused checks to be deposited into his own personal bank account without authority. In all, Morgan fraudulently obtained $66,776.
In addition, Morgan, and others, at Company A, devised and executed a scheme in which a portion of some employees’ salaries would be in cash and therefore lessening the payroll tax burden owed by Company A.
The investigation of the case was conducted by agents of the Internal Revenue Service, the United States Secret Service, and the Virginia State Police. Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer R. Bockhorst prosecuted the case for the United States.