Former Allen County Accountant Sentenced for Wire Fraud, Filing Fraudulent Federal Tax Returns

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – A former Allen County, Kentucky, accountant was sentenced by United States District Judge Greg N. Stivers to 24 months in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release, and ordered to pay restitution of $766,349.59, announced United States Attorney Russell M. Coleman.

Stephen C. Jones, 51, of Scottsville, Kentucky, committed wire fraud between January 2010 and August of 2015, when he devised and executed a scheme to defraud his employer, by diverting $766,349.59 from the company’s bank account to his personal bank account, according to the plea agreement. Additionally, Jones failed to report the embezzled funds as income on his tax returns for tax years 2010 through 2014.

In total, Jones plead guilty to six counts against him, including: wire fraud and five counts of presentation of a false tax return.

Assistant United States Attorney Amanda Gregory prosecuted the case. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), and the Allen County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.