Former Glenmore Officer Sentenced

Michael Comer to Serve 36 Months

CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA—The former treasurer of the Glenmore Community Association and officer with Glenmore Associates, PBK Real Estate, and Kessler Enterprises was sentenced this morning in the United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia.

Michael Douglas Comer, 47, of Charlottesville, previously waived his right to be indicted and pled guilty to one count of mail fraud and one count of tax evasion in relation to a scheme he devised to steal money from Glenmore Associates, PBK Real Estate, and Kessler Enterprises. This morning, he was sentenced to 36 months of incarceration.

"Mr. Comer violated the trust placed in him by the residents of Glenmore, and his family, when he embezzled their money to enrich himself," United States Attorney Timothy J. Heaphy said today. "He compounded that violation by failing to pay federal income taxes for years. Today's sentencing ensures that Mr. Comer will be justly punished for his fraud. It also requires him to repay the back taxes he evaded."

"The role of IRS-Criminal Investigation becomes even more important in embezzlement cases due to the complex financial transactions that can take time to unravel," said Rebecca Sparkman, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge, Washington, D.C. Field Office. "As we often see, the victims are not only the taxpayers, but also the entities who suffer financial harm."

Comer previously admitted that between 2004 and 2009, he devised a scheme to defraud Glenmore Associates, PBK Real Estate, and Kessler Enterprises by embezzling funds from these entities and using these funds to pay himself unauthorized compensation and to pay unauthorized personal expenses. Those personal expenses included car payments and mortgage payments.

In addition, Comer admitted to affirmatively evading his individual income taxes for the years 2003 through 2009 by annually submitting false income tax returns. The defendant admitted he received unreported taxable income of at least $2,548,212 and upon that taxable income there was owing to the United States an additional income tax of at least $933,028. Comer agreed to make full restitution to the United States for all taxes due and owed.

The investigation of the case was conducted by the Internal Revenue Service and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Ronald Huber and Larry Wszalek, an attorney with the United States Department of Justice, Tax Division, Southern Enforcement Section, are prosecuting the case for the United States.