Responsible Gambling Programs are a sad joke!

What other business would be allowed to keep ill-gotten gains?

Company blames Iowa casino, not employee accused of tax fraud

UPDATED 10:39 PM CDT Jul 26, 2013

VIDEO TRANSCRIPT:

TONIGHT'S BIG STORY! TODD, ONE OF RICHARDSON'S FAMILY MEMBERS TOLD ME THAT SHE HAD A GAMBLING PROBLEM. THEY SAY THEY DIDN'T EVEN KNOW ABOUT, AND JUST WISH SHE HAD SAID SOMETHING TO THEM. TONIGHT, ADDICTION OR NOT, THE SARPY COUNTY ATTORNEY'S GOING AFTER RICHARDSON FOR MORE THAN 430-THOUSAND DOLLARS IN UNPAID TAXES... SAYING YES, IF THE MONEY'S STOLEN, UNCLE SAM STILL WANTS HIS CUT OF IT. CONSIDER IT UNUSUAL.("I think it's a really interesting case and not something you see everyday--") SARPY COUNTY ATTORNEY LEE POLIKOV WILL BE THE FIRST TO SAY THE ALLEGATIONS AGAINST CAROLINE RICHARDSON RISE TO THE LEVEL THAT FEW OF US RARELY SEE, AND MAY NOT UNDERSTAND.("I think it's interesting for people to know that stolen money is considered income and has to be reported on your income tax, and if you don't report it and don't pay it, you'll be prosecuted for it.") THAT'S THE CENTRAL ARGUMENT AS IT RELATES TO THE CRIMINAL CHARGES RICHARDSON FACES. POLIKOV'S OFFICE WON'T DETAIL THE FACTS, ONLY TO SAY RICHARDSON MISAPPOPRIATED MORE THAN FOUR-MILLION DOLLARS OVER THREE YEARS.. AS THE CONTROLLER.. FROM HER NOW FORMER EMPLOYER..COLOMBO CANDY AND TOBACCO.. NOW KNOWN AS M- L-B LOGISITCS. BUT IN A CIVIL FILING, IN WHICH RICHARDSON IS IDENTIFIED AS A "JANE DOE," WE LEARN MUCH MORE. COLOMBO CANDY LAYS OUT AN ARGUMENT THAT ACTUALLY PUTS THE BLAME LESS ON RICHARDSON, AND MORE ON AN IOWA CASINO. THE COMPANY SAYS THE CASINO KNEW THAT RICHARDSON WAS A PROBLEM GAMBLER... --AND "KNEW THAT PROBLEM GAMBLERS CAN AND DO RESORT TO LARGE-SCALE EMBEZZLEMENTS." AND THAT THE CASINO "INTENTIONALLY IGNORED ITS OWN POLICIES, AND INTENTIONALLY REFUSED TO TALK TO RICHARDSON ABOUT HER PROBLEM GAMBLING." ULTIMATELY, COLOMBO CANDY SETTLED WITH RICHARDSON. THAT'S WHERE SHE ADMITTED TO THE EMBEZZLEMENT AND WHERE THE COMPANY ACKNOWLEDGED SHE IS UNABLE TO REPAY THE FOUR- MILLION DOLLARS. SETTLEMENTS AND CIVIL FILINGS ASIDE, POLIKOV SAYS THAT'S NO BUSINESS OF HIS.("so the fact that they have an agreement with her, and they've settled, they feel, their issues with her. She still has issues with the state. And that's who I make decisions for.") COLOMBO CANDY DECLINED TO COMMENT ON RICHARDSON'S ARREST, OR THEIR CIVIL CASES WHICH THEY FILED áMONTHS AGO, WHICH ARE STILL WORKING THEIR WAY THROUGH THE COURT SYSTEM. RICHARDSON HERSELF ALSO DECLINED OUR REQUEST FOR AN INTERVIEW IN JAIL. IF CONVICTED OF THE ALLEGED TAX CRIMES, SHE COULD FACE UP TO FIVE YEARS IN PRISON, ON áEACH

PAPILLION, Neb. —The Nebraska Department of Revenue and the Sarpy County attorney have decided to pursue criminal charges against 54-year-old Caroline Richardson of Gretna.

 

Investigators have reason to believe that while employed as a controller for Colombo Candy and Tobacco Wholesale Company, Richardson misappropriated company funds totaling more than $4 million within a three-year period and owes $430,000 in unpaid taxes.

 

Sarpy County Attorney Lee Polikov said this is a case he doesn’t see every day.

 

“I think it’s interesting for people to know that stolen money is considered income and has to be reported on your income tax,” Polikov said. “If you don’t report it and don’t pay it, you’ll be prosecuted for it.”

 

In a civil filing where Richardson is identified as “Jane Doe,” Colombo Candy argued the blame should be less on Richardson and more on an Iowa Casino.

 

Colombo Candy said the casino knew that Richardson was a problem gambler and “knew that problem gamblers can and do resort to large-scale embezzlements.”

 

The filing also notes that Colombo Candy said the casino “intentionally ignored its own policies and intentionally refused to talk to Richardson about her problem gambling.”

 

Ultimately, Colombo Candy settled with Richardson after she admitted to the embezzlement accusations and the company acknowledged she was unable to repay the $4 million.

 

Polikov said settlements and civil filing aside, Richardson still has issues with the state.

Richardson is charged with three counts of income tax evasion and three counts of filing false income tax return.

 

If convicted, Richardson faces up to five years in prison, a $10,000 fine or both.

 

Nebraska law requires tax payable on income derived from sources within the state and requires a tax filing when gross income exceeds $8,750. The law has long considered stolen money as income.

Read more: http://www.ketv.com/news/local-news/woman-arrested-for-4m-tax-fraud/-/9674510/21182876/-/p3fq6jz/-/index.html#ixzz2aM6oxkYC