The news had been simmering for awhile before it broke last week. A New Albany interior designer was indicted in March and arrested last month. But a lid was put on the news when the U.S. Attorney asked a federal judge to seal the case to keep people potentially connected to the alleged tax fraud and money laundering scheme from destroying evidence.
Last Thursday, the government went public with the charges, unveiling a 44-count indictment accusing the Ohio designer in federal court of defrauding clients and the government of nearly three-quarters of a million dollars.
The 60-year-old faces accusations of income tax evasion, wire fraud, money laundering and structuring bank deposits so that they were less than $10,000 (the level at which banks must report deposits to the government). The fraud is alleged to have taken place from February of 2011 and October of 2013.
Prosecutors say the scheme essentially worked this way: she and her customers would come to an agreement for her interior design services. She would then ask customers for additional money, claiming retailers or contractors had unexpectedly added costs to her quote. According to the Columbus Dispatch, she proved her claims to balking customers by allegedly asking retailers to provide her with fraudulent invoices.
In similar situations, a defendant will decline to answer prosecutor questions without first discussing legal options with an Ohio law firm experienced in defending clients accused of tax evasion. Sometimes a favorable plea agreement can be worked out and in other cases, a client is best represented with a vigorous defense at trial. 
