A former golf pro from Springfield has been served with a less-than-fore-tunate sentence after being caught in a tax fraud scheme. Ryan McDowell, 32, was handed down 12 months probation and ordered to pay restitution for pilfering more than $100,000 in city golf revenues and fibbing on his tax returns.
McDowell, who previously worked at Franconia and Veterans Memorial Golf Courses—both city-owned links, admitted to skimming off the top of the pot, swindling a total of $101,050 from the city's pocket. He also swung into trouble with the IRS for failing to report the cash, knocking his tax returns out of bounds and causing a federal tax loss of $34,236, according to the Department of Justice announcement.
The case was announced by Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and IRS Special Agent in Charge Harry Chavis, Jr., and saw Assistant U.S. Attorneys Steven H. Breslow and Neil Desroches driving the prosecution home. McDowell entered a guilty plea to six counts of tax fraud back in September 2018, avoiding a rougher sentence with likely time in the clubhouse.
Bringing this fairway fiasco to a close, U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni teed up McDowell's sentence to 12 months of probation—keeping the ex-pro on a tight leash. McDowell must also return the green to Springfield, with the restitution to be paid in full to both the city and the IRS, according to the same DOJ report.
