Press Releases
LOCAL MAN SENTENCED FOR CONSPIRACY TO DEFRAUD THE U.S.
January 23, 2008
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
KEITH A. FULTON, age 44, a resident of Gretna, Louisiana, was sentenced in federal court today in connection with his guilty plea to a felony involving conspiracy to defraud the United States, announced U.S. Attorney Jim Letten.
FULTON was sentenced by United States District Judge Ivan L.R. Lemelle to serve a three year term of probation. He was additionally ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $9,042.34 to the Internal Revenue Service.
According to the bill of information, FULTON, operating as Fulton Productions, Inc. worked as a runner for Coney Law Services, Inc., a personal injury law firm (now defunct) located in New Orleans, Louisiana. FULTON received a fee for each personal injury client that he referred to Coney Law Services, Inc. To avoid paying federal income taxes on the runner fees FULTON received from Coney Law Services, Inc., FULTON and Coney agreed to under-report the income by omitting it from the IRS Form 1099 that Coney Law Service was required to provide FULTON and the IRS. As part of the conspiracy, FULTON in turn filed false federal income taxes Form 1040 for the years 2000 and 2001 wherein he under-reported $62,786.26 in income derived from running personal injury cases. This misconduct resulted in a total tax loss due and owing to the federal government of $9,042.34.
The case was investigated by Internal Revenue Service/Criminal Investigations and was prosecuted by Assistant U. S. Attorney Irene González.
