Linda Marilyn Weaks Press Release (Sentencing)

February 5, 2004
For Immediate Release

ST. LOUIS AREA PERIODONTIST IS SENTENCED FOR FILING FALSE TAX RETURNS

St. Louis, Missouri: A St. Louis area periodontist was sentenced this morning for filing false tax returns, United States Attorney Ray Gruender announced today.

This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation Division. Assistant United States Attorney Carrie Costantin handled the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

'The filing of a fraudulent tax return, which is signed under the penalties of perjury, is a serious federal tax violation," said Al Patton, Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation. "It increases the tax burden on the majority of our citizens that fully comply in meeting their tax obligations." "Individuals who intentionally file fraudulent tax returns run the risk of being exposed to severe civil and criminal penalties."

LINDA MARILYN WEAKS, 54, of the 12400 block of Stratford Ridge Court, Creve Coeur, 63141, was sentenced to three years probation, including six months of home confinement, and fined $2000. On November 17, 2003, Weaks pled guilty to three felony counts of filing a false tax return. She appeared this morning for sentencing before United States District Judge Rodney W. Sippel.

From 1996 through the present, Dr. Weaks practices as a periodontist in the St. Louis area. For the tax years of 1996, 1997 and 1998, Weaks filed income tax returns in which she reported her business income on a Schedule C. Prior to 1996, she deposited all of her non-cash business receipts into one main bank account and reported these deposits to her accountant who prepared her tax returns based upon the income received in that account. In 1996, Weaks opened additional (secondary) bank accounts and began to deposit her business income into these secondary accounts. She later transferred some of the funds from the secondary accounts to the main account, but continued to have her accountant prepare her tax returns based solely on the income deposited in her main account, which caused her tax returns to understate her income. Weaks admitted with her plea in November that she created the secondary bank accounts and directed her business income to those accounts to falsely report less than actual income on her income tax return for the tax years 1996, 1997 and 1998. Additionally, as part of her business, Weaks sometimes received cash as payment for her services, which she did not report on her individual income tax return for tax years 1996 and 1998.

The total loss tax for those three years was $39,026.

UNITED STATES ATTORNEY'S OFFICE EASTERN DISTRICT OF MISSOURI RAYMOND W. GRUENDER United States Attorney	NEWS RELEASE
For further information: Call Public Affairs Officer Jan Diltz at (314) 539-7719
February 5, 2004 For Immediate Release ST. LOUIS AREA PERIODONTIST IS SENTENCED FOR FILING FALSE TAX RETURNS St. Louis, Missouri: A St. Louis area periodontist was sentenced this morning for filing false tax returns, United States Attorney Ray Gruender announced today. This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation Division. Assistant United States Attorney Carrie Costantin handled the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office. 'The filing of a fraudulent tax return, which is signed under the penalties of perjury, is a serious federal tax violation," said Al Patton, Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation. "It increases the tax burden on the majority of our citizens that fully comply in meeting their tax obligations." "Individuals who intentionally file fraudulent tax returns run the risk of being exposed to severe civil and criminal penalties." LINDA MARILYN WEAKS, 54, of the 12400 block of Stratford Ridge Court, Creve Coeur, 63141, was sentenced to three years probation, including six months of home confinement, and fined $2000. On November 17, 2003, Weaks pled guilty to three felony counts of filing a false tax return. She appeared this morning for sentencing before United States District Judge Rodney W. Sippel. From 1996 through the present, Dr. Weaks practices as a periodontist in the St. Louis area. For the tax years of 1996, 1997 and 1998, Weaks filed income tax returns in which she reported her business income on a Schedule C. Prior to 1996, she deposited all of her non-cash business receipts into one main bank account and reported these deposits to her accountant who prepared her tax returns based upon the income received in that account. In 1996, Weaks opened additional (secondary) bank accounts and began to deposit her business income into these secondary accounts. She later transferred some of the funds from the secondary accounts to the main account, but continued to have her accountant prepare her tax returns based solely on the income deposited in her main account, which caused her tax returns to understate her income. Weaks admitted with her plea in November that she created the secondary bank accounts and directed her business income to those accounts to falsely report less than actual income on her income tax return for the tax years 1996, 1997 and 1998. Additionally, as part of her business, Weaks sometimes received cash as payment for her services, which she did not report on her individual income tax return for tax years 1996 and 1998. The total loss tax for those three years was $39,026.