Penn Valley Accountant Gets 1-Year Sentence for False Returns

A T-shirt company accountant on Tuesday was sentenced in federal court in Philadelphia to one year and one day in prison for filing false tax returns, the Internal Revenue Service announced.

Penn Valley resident Jeffrey Scher was also ordered by U.S. District Court Judge Patrese Tucker to pay restitution in the amount of $254,818. 

From the IRS statement: 

Scher, a certified public accountant, was employed as the chief financial officer at Bodek and Rhodes, a Philadelphia-based T-shirt wholesaler.  Scher received cash receipts from Bodek and Rhodes’ controller for deposit into Bodek and Rhodes’ bank account.  Instead depositing all of the money into his employer’s bank account, Scher surreptitiously diverted cash receipts belonging to Bodek and Rhodes to his personal bank accounts.

In filing his Federal income tax returns, Scher did not report the cash receipts belonging to Bodek and Rhodes which he converted for his personal use.  Scher was charged with 5 counts of filing a false tax return.

The case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation.