Former Golf Professional Pleads Guilty to Tax Fraud

BOSTON – A former golf professional, who worked at two courses owned by the City of Springfield, pleaded guilty today in federal court in Springfield to tax fraud.

Ryan McDowell, 32, of Springfield, pleaded guilty to six counts of tax fraud. U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni scheduled sentencing for Dec. 6, 2018.

Between 2011 and 2016, McDowell worked as an Assistant Golf Professional for a golf management company that contracted with the City of Springfield to manage its two municipal golf courses, Franconia and Veterans Memorial Golf Courses. During that time period, McDowell skimmed approximately $101,050 from golf revenues belonging to the City and then filed false tax returns each year that intentionally omitted the stolen money. McDowell’s filing of the false tax returns resulted in a federal tax loss of $34,236. 

Each of the tax fraud charges provides for a sentence of no greater than three years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a fine of $100,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.   

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling and Kristina O’Connell, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation, New England Field Division, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven H. Breslow of Lelling’s Springfield Branch Office is prosecuting the case.