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Wildwood Tax Adviser Indicted for Tax Evasion

Frank “Tiger” Zerjav Jr., 39, Wildwood, was indicted by a federal grand jury on four felony counts of tax evasion and one felony count of obstruction of justice.

 

Frank “Tiger” Zerjav Jr., of Wildwood, was indicted through the U.S. Attorney's Office for Eastern District of Missouri on charges of federal income tax evasion for the years 2001 through 2004. Zerjav also was charged with obstruction of justice for allegedly producing altered records after receiving a grand jury subpoena.

The indictment indicates Zerjav submitted false tax returns for the years 2001 through 2004, and further submitted false accounting records to evade taxes totaling $182,000. The indictment also alleges Zerjav attempted to interfere with the grand jury investigation by producing altered QuickBooks accounting records of an entity identified as Advisory Group-West, Inc. 

Each charge carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and/or fines up to $250,000. In determining the actual sentences, a judge is required to consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, which provide recommended sentencing ranges, stated Assistant U.S. Attorney James Crowe Jr., who is handling this case.   

This case was investigated by Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation. 

A St. Louis Business Journal article from March 30, 2010, indicated a court order entered by Judge Richard Webber in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri barred Zerjva Jr. from preparing tax returns and providing tax advice for three years, and permanently barred his father, Frank Zerjav Sr., from engaging in certain conduct related to tax preparation.

The Zerjavs consented to the order “to resolve all disputed claims and to avoid the expense and risk of ongoing litigation,” according to the order.

In February 2008, the federal government had filed a complaint seeking to permanently bar the Zerjavs and their affiliated companies from preparing tax returns for others, according to the Business Journal article. The suit alleged that the Zerjavs were promoting an unlawful tax scheme involving the use of bogus corporate transactions and phony deductions.

"Tax violations have been erroneously referred to as victimless crimes, but it's the honest law abiding citizen who is harmed when someone tries to manipulate our nation's tax system," said Stephen Boyd, Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation in an announcement from the Attorney's Office.    

Charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt, stated the current announcement about Zerjva Jr. 

Related Topics: Advisory Group-West, Frank Zerjav, Frank “Tiger” Zerjav Jr., Tiger Zerjav, United States Attorney, Wildwood Tax Adviser Indictment, and Wildwood Tax Evasion

jerome riley

10:30 pm on Tuesday, December 4, 2012

He and his dad were my daughter's accountant and she was audited because of them. It was a nightmare and she will probably be paying the IRS until who knows when. I am surprised that the Zerjav's are still in business, especially now that this has come out. When my daughter was audited, she told me they were raided and under investigation back then. With the awful reputation they have in St. Louis, you have to give them credit for continuing their fight against the government. They have more guts than most. I wonder if Frank, Sr. will be next.

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david grant

4:04 pm on Thursday, December 20, 2012

Tiger Zerjav pleaded guilty today and is an admitted convicted felon. He will be sentenced in March. I hope they give him the maximum possible sentence. I am so glad that his children have a wonderful mother that can take care of them.

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Julie Brown Patton

4:12 pm on Thursday, December 20, 2012

Thanks, David Grant. We just received the details this afternoon, and are working on the update article.

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