DENVER – Murleen Kay Kuzman, age 72, of Fort Collins, Colorado, was charged by an Information in Denver on Wednesday, July 11, 2012, for failure to pay over employment tax, United States Attorney John Walsh and IRS Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge Sean Sowards announced. Kuzman waived her right to be indicted by a federal grand jury on July 11, 2012. A change of plea hearing has been scheduled for August 3, 2012 at 11:00 a.m. before U.S. District Court Judge Robert E. Blackburn.

According to the information, on or about September 30th, 2006, and continuing on into 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, and ending the last day of June 2011, Kunzman did willfully fail to truthfully account for and pay over to the Internal Revenue Service the federal income taxes and Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA) taxes withheld and due and owing to the United States.

Kunzman conducted business under the name CrossCountry Fulfillment, LLC, with its principal place of business in Fort Collins, Colorado. The total tax loss for the above period is $324,309.92, consisting of both the employer portion of taxes and the employee's portion of taxes that were withheld but not paid over to the Internal Revenue Service.

“Employers who commit employment tax fraud by failing to remit withheld employment taxes are not only defrauding the IRS, they are creating financial havoc for their employees and creating an unfair competitive advantage over those businesses that lawfully pay their share of employment taxes,” said Sean P. Sowards, Special Agent in Charge for IRS Criminal Investigation, Denver Field office.

Kunzman was charged with one count of failure to pay over tax. If convicted of that count he faces not more than 5 years in federal prison, and a fine of up to $250,000.

This case was investigated by IRS-Criminal Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Kirsch and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa Fowler.

The charges contained in the information are allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

####