Holladay man pleads guilty to fraud after stealing dead woman's identity for business

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HOLLADAY — A Holladay man pleaded guilty to three felony counts of tax-related fraud after he used the name of a deceased person in "numerous" business transactions over three years.

Dan Roberts, 75, was charged a year ago with 18 felonies related to the case. According to a news release from the Utah State Tax Commission, 15 charges were dropped in exchange for Roberts' guilty plea to fraud, forgery and filing a false return.

Roberts admitted to authorities that he used a deceased person's information and signature stamp on withholding tax returns, checks and business documents "in an attempt to defraud the Tax Commission," the release says. Roberts falsified signatures on returns for his business, American Business Solutions, in 2015 and 2016 using signatures of a woman who'd died in 2013.

Roberts was sentenced to 36 months of supervised probation and ordered to pay back taxes and penalties of $4,200, plus interest. He was sentenced to prison on all three counts but those prison terms were suspended.

He was also ordered to no longer use the name of the deceased person.

Officials said last year that Roberts owed $27,455 in withholding income tax and $7,701 in federal income tax.

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Graham Dudley reports on politics, breaking news and more for KSL.com. A native Texan, Graham's work has previously appeared in the Brownwood (Texas) Bulletin and The Oklahoma Daily.
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