HOUSTON - A convicted tax offender has been charged again, this time for failing to serve his prison sentence, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.
Kermit Woods is set to appear before U.S. Magistrate Judge Frances Stacy at 10:00 a.m. today.
Woods had owned and operated an income tax preparation business in Houston known as L&L Finance. He pleaded guilty in March 2012 to willfully preparing a false U.S. Individual Income Tax Return. He was sentenced in January 2013 to 24 months in prison and ordered to pay the IRS restitution of $362,340.
At the time of his sentence, the court had permitted him to remain on bond and voluntarily surrender to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons on Feb. 26, 2013. He never reported as ordered, according to the charges. He remained a fugitive until his recent arrest in Arizona.
If convicted of failing to appear, Woods faces another maximum of 24 months in prison in addition to the already-imposed 24 months for the tax offense.
IRS-Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles J. Escher is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence.
A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
