Grosse Pointe Woman Pleads Guilty to Tax Evasion

A 63-year-old Grosse Pointe woman admitted to hiding $1.65 million in income from the IRS, United States Attorney Barbara L. McQuade announced.

McQuade was joined in the announcement by Special Agent-In-Charge Maurice Aouate, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation.

Maria Obie pleaded guilty to willfully subscribing a false tax return before United States District Judge Bernard A. Friedman. Obie admitted that she failed to report $709,112 in income on her 2003 IRS Form 1040 and an additional $942,737 on her 2004 tax return. During the relevant time period, Obie was the general manager of European Domestic Personnel (“EDP”), a janitorial service company she founded in 1980. For 2003, Obie reported only $25,832 in income; for 2004, she reported $14,424. The total tax loss calculated by the IRS resulting from Obie’s misrepresentations is $544,357.

Willfully subscribing a false tax return is punishable by a maximum sentence of 3 years imprisonment and a fine of up to $100,000. Sentencing is scheduled for August 3 at 11:00 a.m.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Leonid Feller.