Wilson County Man Pleads Guilty to Tax Evasion

Mt. Juliet, Tenn. - The Special Investigations Sections of the Tennessee Department of Revenue conducted the investigation that led to a May 10, 2013 guilty plea by Frederick C. Ritter, age 69, of Mt. Juliet to one count of tax evasion. Wilson County Criminal Court Judge David Durham sentenced Ritter to one year probation and ordered him to pay full restitution to the state.

In January 2013, Ritter was indicted by the Wilson County Grand Jury on the Class E felony count of tax evasion in violation of Tenn. Code Ann. Section 67-1-1440(g). The indictment charged Ritter with failure to pay tax due to the state totaling $5,143.00 relating to his purchase of an antique automobile and his subsequent false representation of the purchase price to the Wilson County Clerk's Office.

""The Department of Revenue promotes voluntary taxpayer compliance by educating taxpayers, aggressively pursuing criminal sanctions and demanding accountability when taxpayers engage in fraudulent activity" said Revenue Commissioner Richard H. Roberts. "This investigation and subsequent conviction underscores the department's ongoing efforts to enforce Tennessee's tax laws."

This case was pursued criminally by the department in cooperation with District Attorney General Tom P. Thompson's office. Citizens who suspect violations of Tennessee's revenue laws should call the toll-free tax fraud hot line at (800) FRAUDTX (372-8389).

In addition to collecting state taxes, over $2.0 billion of local sales and business taxes were collected by the department for local governments during the 2012 fiscal year. Besides collecting taxes, the department enforces the revenue laws fairly and impartially in an effort to encourage voluntary taxpayer compliance. The department also apportions revenue collections for distribution to the various state funds and local units of government. To learn more about the department, log on to www.TN.gov/revenue.

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