Wisconsin accountant sentenced for filing fake taxes, stealing refunds to pay prostitute

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A Fort Atkinson accountant will spend two years in prison for filing dozens of fraudulent tax returns in an attempt to steal clients’ refunds.

A criminal complaint against 55-year-old David Zehnder said he knowingly filed at least 83 false Wisconsin income-tax returns as the operator of A-Z Productivity, Inc. in Fort Atkinson. The complaint said he overstated the itemized-deduction credits on the returns by nearly $74,000 and stole, or attempted to steal, about $32,000 of the refunds by diverting the money into accounts he controlled.

Prosecutors said Zehnder used the stolen refunds to pay a prostitute and buy illegal controlled substances. Zehnder pleaded guilty to four counts of felony fraud and one count of theft in September.

On Thursday, a Jefferson County Court sentenced Zehnder to two years in prison, followed by three years of supervision. He’ll also have to pay restitution of more than $130,000 for tax losses, money stolen, client fees and other services. The judge ordered Zehnder not to prepare other people’s tax returns or work in a fiduciary role, saying the victims were conned and the public needs protection from the “egregious fraud.” Follow @WLJReporter