RENO - -United States Attorney for the District of Nevada, Daniel G. Bogden, and Byram Tichenor, Special Agent-in-Charge of Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) for Nevada and Utah, announced that STEPHANIE ANN ROSE, age 38, a resident of Sparks, Nevada, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Reno to four months imprisonment to be followed by four months of home detention. She was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $65,636 for her guilty plea to Income Tax Evasion, a violation of Title 26, United States Code, Section 7201. The sentence was handed down by U.S. District Court Judge Howard D. McKibben.

According to the court records, STEPHANIE ANN ROSE worked as an office manager at the Law Office of Curtis B. Coulter in Reno, Nevada, from 1993 to 1998. ROSE had sole responsibility for maintaining the financial records of the business, had signature authority for the firm's general account, and used Mr. Coulter's signature stamp on checks from the trust account. ROSE was also responsible for paying all of the expenses of the business and managing personnel.

During the years 1995 to 1998, ROSE deposited $224,323 of law firm monies into her personal bank accounts and used the monies for her own personal use. ROSE advised family members that the extra income was an inheritance from her grandmother. ROSE did not report the income on her federal income tax returns for the years 1995 through 1998 . The amounts of income ROSE deposited from the law firm account into her personal bank accounts for each year are as follows: 1995 - $24,857; 1996 - $31,733; 1997 - $115,025; and 1998 - $52,708.

The IRS calculated additional taxes due and owing from the defendant as: 1995 - $6,958; 1996 - $8,974; 1997 - $35,069; and 1998 - $14,635, or a total of $65,636 for all four years.

ROSE was also ordered to serve three years of supervised release following her release from custody, and must work with the IRS to repay her tax debts.

ROSE will remain free on a personal recognizance bond, and was permitted to self-surrender to the designated federal correctional facility by February 18, 2003.

Special Agents with the Internal Revenue Service conducted the investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Brian Sullivan.

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