On a recent Tuesday in Knox County, swift justice was served in the courtroom of Judge Hector Sanchez as Chris Rothermel admitted to dodging tax laws. According to the Department of Revenue, a guilty plea was promptly accepted for charges related to fraudulent vehicle registration. Now facing the realities of skirting civic duties, Rothermel was handed a sentence of one year's probation and tasked with making financial amends in the calculated sum of $2,170 restitution.
While the quantity of the restitution might seem a small toll for the breach of trust between citizen and state, Revenue Commissioner David Gerregano reminds us that the true cost comes in maintaining the integrity of the system, saying "The Department of Revenue strives to promote voluntary compliance of Tennessee's tax laws by educating taxpayers and pursuing criminal sanctions for accountability of fraudulent actors", and with Rothermel's guilty plea the Department of Revenue illustrates its resolve in safeguarding Tennessee's tax laws for the evenhanded benefit of all.
Reflecting a joint effort, the pursuit of this recent case was a collaboration between the Department of Revenue and District Attorney General Charme Allen's Office, presenting a unified enforcement front. For those concerned with the fair application of revenue laws, officials encourage reports of suspected tax fraud by calling the toll-free tax fraud hotline at (800) FRAUDTX (372-8389), a civic engagement channel open to the public eye.
