Eastern Oregon Medical Practice Employee Pleads Guilty to Tax Crimes, Bank Fraud

PORTLAND, Ore.—The former office manager and bookkeeper for a La Grande, Oregon medical practice pleaded guilty today for devising a scheme to defraud her employer, announced U.S. Attorney Billy J. Williams.

Anndrea D. Jacobs, 49, pleaded guilty to filing a false personal income tax return, falsely impersonating an IRS employee, aggravated identity theft, and bank fraud as a joint resolution for two criminal cases.

According to court documents, beginning on or about January 2011 and continuing until her termination in December 2015, Jacobs used her position and access to the medical practice’s finances to steal money from the practice by, among other means, writing business checks to herself or for her own benefit. Jacobs used the stolen funds to make payments on personal credit cards, and pay other personal expenses unrelated to the medical practice.

In an attempt to hide her illicit actions, Jacobs prepared and maintained false business financial records, overstating expenses and estimated tax payments. Further, without the knowledge or consent of the medical practice owner, she opened a business bank account in his name; deposited a business check payable to the Oregon Department of Revenue into her own personal account; gave the practice owner falsified property tax statements with total due balances of zero; and convinced the practice owner to grant her limited power of attorney to handle the practice’s pending IRS tax collection action.

In perhaps her most brazen attempt to conceal her embezzlement activity, Jacobs created a fictitious identity as an IRS Taxpayer Advocate, aka Linda Gibson; established a phone number and voicemail account for the fictitious identity; and purported to assist the medical practice owner with his IRS tax collection issues while impersonating “Linda Gibson.”

On September 12, 2018, a federal grand jury in Portland returned 15-count indictment charging Jacobs with wire fraud, filing false tax returns, aiding or assisting the preparation of false tax returns, falsely impersonating an employee of the U.S., and aggravated identity theft. On June 5, 2020, Jacobs’ pre-trial release was revoked for committing bank fraud. On June 9, 2020, Jacobs was indicted a second time for the new fraud. She remains in custody pending sentencing.

Under the terms of her plea agreement, Jacobs will join the U.S. Attorney’s Office in jointly recommending a four-year prison sentence followed by five years of supervised release. She will be sentenced on December 7, 2020 before U.S. District Court Judge Marco A. Hernandez.

Jacobs has also agreed to pay restitution in full to her victim as ordered by the court.

This case was investigated by IRS-Criminal Investigation and the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA). It is being prosecuted by Donna Maddux and Ryan Bounds, Assistant U.S. Attorneys for the District of Oregon.

The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice.  Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.