Chicago —(ENEWSPF)—August 17, 2015. Attorney General Lisa Madigan announced that a Pinckneyville woman was charged with theft and income tax fraud for allegedly stealing more than $100,000 from the Pinckneyville Rural Fire Protection District (PRFPD).
Tammy Kellerman, 52, was charged in Perry County Criminal Court on one count of Theft of Government Funds over $100,000, a class X felony punishable by a minimum of six years in prison; four counts of Filing a Fraudulent Illinois Income Tax Return and Computer Fraud, both class 4 felonies punishable by up to three years in prison; and two counts of Wire Fraud and Official Misconduct, both class 3 felonies punishable by two to five years in prison.
“Residents of Illinois’ communities depend on the services provided by local fire departments. At a time when public funding for those services is scarce, the defendant’s actions are even more reprehensible,” said Madigan.
Madigan alleged that Kellerman, a former employee at the PRFPD, was able to leverage her access to embezzle more than $100,000 that would have otherwise supported PRFPD operations, for her own personal use. Additionally, Kellerman failed to disclose the extra income on her state income tax returns.
“Whenever allegations of tax fraud come to light, it is important that we examine their validity and act accordingly,” said Connie Beard, director of the Illinois Department of Revenue. “I commend the job performed by the Department of Revenue’s Criminal Investigations Unit, as well as the work currently being done by the Attorney General’s office regarding this matter.”
Kellerman’s bond was set at $100,000 with the requirement that she post 10 percent up front. Her next court appearance is Sept. 29.
Assistant Attorneys General Eugene Bian and Gregory Stucka are handling the case for Madigan’s Special Prosecutions Bureau. The investigation was conducted in cooperation with the Illinois State Police and the Illinois Department of Revenue, Criminal Investigations Division, with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Source: www.illinoisattorneygeneral.gov
