Ripley, Ohio, Man Sentenced for Tax Crimes

CINCINNATI – Robert C. Welti, a resident of Ripley, Ohio, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio, the Justice Department announced. Welti previously pleaded guilty to one count of corruptly endeavoring to obstruct and impede the due administration of the Internal Revenue Code.

U.S. District Court Senior Judge Sandra S. Beckwith sentenced Welti to six months in prison and one year of supervised release. The court also ordered Welti to pay $5,000 in fines.

According to court documents, in April of 2002, Welti, who represented Douglas and Donald Frichtl in an Internal Revenue Service (IRS) audit, attempted to obstruct the audit by preventing properly summonsed documents from being turned over to the IRS, preventing the Frichtls from responding to the auditors’ questions, proposing meritless and frivolous questions and arguments to the IRS auditors, and accusing the IRS auditors of engaging in a criminal racketeering conspiracy.

The case resulted from an investigation by the IRS, Criminal Investigation. IRS Special Agent Ankur Arora conducted the investigation. Tax Division attorneys Thomas Voracek and Rita Calvin prosecuted the case.

Tax Division Acting Assistant Attorney General John A. DiCicco and Carter M. Stewart, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, made the announcement.