Little Rork, Arkansas - A former Arkansas resident pleaded guilty Thursday to tax evasion and admitted he lied to IRS special agents.
According to court documents, Joshua Wood, previously of Alma, Arkansas, instructed his employer not to withhold income taxes from his paycheck and then did not file tax returns from 2014 through 2016. During those years, Wood earned more than $378,000 selling recreational vehicles (RVs) and automobiles. When questioned by IRS special agents, Wood falsely claimed to have been shot down and wounded on a Navy mission, causing him to suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder. He also falsely stated that a CPA had prepared tax returns on his behalf, when in fact the CPA had never prepared Wood’s taxes.
Wood is scheduled to be sentenced at a later date. He faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney David Clay Fowlkes for the Western District of Arkansas made the announcement.
IRS-Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.
Trial Attorneys Robert Kemins and Nicholas Schilling of the Justice Department’s Tax Division are prosecuting the case.