Spokane Accountant Sentenced in Tax Fraud Case

SPOKANE  (AP) — A Spokane accountant who pleaded guilty to tax fraud charges has been given a 15-month prison sentence.

The Spokesman-Review reports that Roger Stadtmueller was sentenced Tuesday and ordered to pay $400,000 in restitution.

Prosecutors say Stadtmueller filed false tax returns for his two businesses, Stadtmueller and Associates and Zazz Inc, from 2006 to 2010.

He is accused of underestimating his income by roughly $1.8 million between 2006 and 2008.

Stadtmueller's attorney, Robert Bernhoft, had sought home detention for his client instead of time behind bars. He argued that Stadtmueller had made bad judgments while in a desperate financial situation.

But the judge denied the request, determining that allowing Stadtmueller to spend time in his million-dollar home wouldn't be "a just punishment."