GREENVILLE, Tenn. - Ten individuals were indicted on Feb. 10, 2015, for conspiracy to commit wire fraud, theft of public money and money laundering conspiracy, in a 10-count indictment handed down by a federal grand jury in Greenville, Tenn. Those indicted include:
Eugene Carl Kotelman, 39, of Burtchville, Mich.; Jamie Marie Lowery, 38, of Port Huron, Mich.; Brian Keith Elliott, 49, of Greenville, Tenn.; Bernard Erwin Goewey, 47, of Afton, Tenn.; Michelle Goewey, 44, of Afton, Tenn.; Timothy Ray Groh, 46, of Port Huron, Mich.; Jake Marshall McKelvey, 53, of Atlanta, Mich.; Gerald Kenneth Orshal, III, 56, of Crystal River, Fla.; Amy Rose Peters Thompson, 33, Port Huron, Mich.; and Terri Lynn Worley, 52, of Port Huron, Mich.
The indictment on file with the U.S. District Court alleges that between January 2008 and December 2012, these individuals conspired to obtain money from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) by submitting fraudulent federal income tax returns that claimed false federal income tax refunds. As part of the scheme, they submitted, or caused to be submitted, a total of 150 federal income tax returns claiming false tax refunds of $1.2 million. The false returns were filed using stolen Personal Identification Information (PII) that was used without the individual’s authorization.
Eugene Kotelman is currently incarcerated with the Michigan Department of Corrections.
On Feb. 25, 2015, Jamie Lowery and Jake McKelvey were arrested in Charlotte, N.C.; Amy Peterson, Timothy Groh and Teri Worley were arrested in Detroit, Mich.; Gerald Orshal was arrested in Tampa, Fla.; and Brian Elliott, Michelle Goewey and Bernard Goewey were arrested in Greeneville, Tenn. They appeared in U.S. District Court before U.S. Magistrate Judge Dennis H. Inman in Greenville, Tenn., on Feb. 25, 2015.
The case was investigated by Special Agents with the IRS-Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Helen Smith represents the United States.
Members of the public are reminded that an indictment constitutes only charges and that every person is presumed innocent until their guilt has been proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
