Former Payroll Manager of Stratford Home Healthcare Company Charged with Federal Tax Offense

 Leonard C Boyle, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Joleen D. Simpson, Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation in New England, today announced that a grand jury in Hartford has returned an indictment charging INNIS FREDERICK, 61, of Saint Cloud, Florida, with a federal tax offense stemming from him employment at a Stratford-based home healthcare company.

The indictment was returned on August 10.  Frederick appeared today via videoconference before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert M. Spector and pleaded not guilty.  He is released on a $20,000 bond.

As alleged in the indictment, Frederick worked as the payroll manager for Equinox Home Care, LLC (“ECH”), a home healthcare company based in Stratford that was originally established as a partnership between Frederick’s sister, Theresa Foreman, and another individual.  In September 2012, the partnership ended, and, by court order, Foreman was obligated to make payments to her partner for the purchase of the partner’s interest in EHC.  Between approximately 2012 and 2016, Frederick assisted Foreman by processing payroll that caused checks to be issued to “ghost employees,” who did not actually work for ECH.  The money paid to the ghost employees was actually paid to Foreman, who did not report the hundreds of thousands of dollars of income on her tax returns.  By submitting false payroll data, Frederick also caused false Forms W-2 and W-3 to be submitted to the Internal Revenue Service.

The indictment charges Frederick with conspiracy to defraud the United States and impede and impair the IRS, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of five years.

Acting U.S. Attorney Boyle stressed that an indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt.  A charge is only an allegation, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

Foreman was previously charged and convicted in relation to this scheme.

This matter is being investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division.  This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer R. Laraia and Peter S. Jongbloed.