FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
Tuesday April 24, 2001

Becky Smalley
(302)577-8667
rsmalley@state.de.us

JULIETTE R. HUTCHINSON - INDICTED ON TAX CHARGES

(Wilmington, DE) - William M. Remington, Director of Revenue announced today that the Grand Jury for the Superior Court in New Castle County returned an indictment against Juliette R. Hutchinson, Hockessin, Del. 

Hutchinson was charged with a total of five misdemeanor offenses: 

The indictment consisted of:

* Three counts of failure to file returns, supply information or pay tax for 1997, 1998 and 1999. 
The charges allege that Hutchinson willfully attempted to evade personal income tax by failing to file personal tax returns and report a total of over $200,000 of Delaware adjusted gross income for 1997, 1998 and 1999.

* Two counts of carrying on a specified occupation without a business license for 1999 and 2000. 
The charges allege that Hutchinson operated a business, Hutchinson & Associates, and provided accounting-related services, including income tax preparation, without first obtaining a business license, as required by Delaware law. 

The charges against Hutchinson are based on an investigation conducted by the Delaware Division of Revenue and referred to the Delaware Attorney General's office for indictment and prosecution. 

The three personal tax offenses are misdemeanors under Title 30, Section 573 and are punishable by up to a maximum 1year imprisonment and up to $2,300 in fines. 

The two business license tax offenses are misdemeanors under Title 30, Section 2119 of the Delaware Code and are punishable by up to 2 years imprisonment and $3,000 in fines for each count. 

Remington said, "Ms. Hutchinson has been indicted on charges of intentionally failing to file the same Delaware tax returns to report her own income and tax liability as she prepared for clients of Hutchinson & Associates, a business she operated without a Delaware business license. In fairness to law-abiding taxpayers, such unlawfulness is not tolerable and will be dealt with forcefully to bring tax evaders to the full measure of justice."

Hutchinson awaits arraignment and trial date in Superior Court in Wilmington. 

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