FLAGLER COUNTY, Fla. — A Flagler County tax service case has been turned over to federal authorities.
Since August, the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office said it has opened over 100 cases from victims of an alleged scheme to defraud clients of Flagler Tax Services.
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“Detectives of our General Assignment Unit have been busy investigating over 100 cases,” Sheriff Rick Staly said. “They’ve analyzed thousands of documents and conducted upwards of 85 interviews with potential victims. Our federal partners have decided to adopt this investigation. The federal court system is more likely to hold this offender accountable for stealing from clients and in the federal system you serve 100% of your sentence. If you have not filed a complaint and believe you may be a victim please file a report with the IRS.”
On Sept. 3, the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office General Assignment Unit, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations, and the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant on Flagler Tax Service of Bunnell, located at 608 E Moody Boulevard.
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Detectives said they seized several computers, files, and other evidence potentially linked to numerous incidents of a massive organized scheme to defraud clients.
The investigation into the business began on Aug. 25, when several people contacted deputies to report that they had been defrauded by Robert “Bob” Newsholme of Flagler Tax Service, according to a release.
The allegations against Newsholme include grand theft, organized scheme to defraud, and embezzlement.
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Deputies said Newsholme has a criminal history dating back to the late 1970s in New York for grand larceny, petit larceny, issuing bad checks with knowledge, forgery, and scheme to defraud, with the most recent charge for defraud in 2004.
Investigators said Newsholme is not a certified public accountant (CPA) as most of his clients believed he was and the current cases being investigated by the FCSO total $189,871 of missing funds.
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Deputies urge residents who may be a victim or know someone that may be a victim and you have not already filed a report with FCSO to contact the IRS Criminal Investigation Tampa Field Office at 904-661-3413. Those who have already filed a report do not need to call IRS Criminal Investigations.
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