Carthage doctor convicted of tax evasion

Saturday, May 16, 2009 | 4:29 p.m. CDT
BY The Associated Press

SPRINGFIELD — A federal jury has convicted a Carthage surgeon and his brother on tax evasion charges.

Orthopedic surgeon Brian Ellefsen and Mark Ellefsen were found guilty Friday in U.S. District Court in Springfield of conspiring to divert about $1.6 million from Brian Ellefsen's medical practice to the surgeon without paying taxes.

The charges alleged that the brothers defrauded the government of the taxes with sham paper transactions through an illegal system of trusts and offshore bank accounts. The money diverted from the medical practice wound up in an account in Antigua, which Brian Ellefsen controlled.

The Ellefsens face up to five years in prison for the conspiracy convictions and three years on each of the counts regarding false income-tax returns. The counts each carry a possible fine of up to $250,000 and restitution.

 

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