Northern Idaho Woman Sentenced for Tax Fraud

(KLIX) – A northern Idaho woman will spend up to 14 years behind bars for two counts of grand theft and one count of state income tax evasion, according to the Idaho Tax Commission.

Melissa Foeller, who pleaded guilty to the charges in May, was sentenced recently in Kootenai County for embezzling money from her employer and not including the income on her state income tax return, the Tax Commission said in a news release on Thursday.

Tax officials said there’s no getting around it, even illegal is taxable.

“Illegal income is taxable,” Tax Commission Chairman Tom Harris said in the prepared statement. “Embezzlers face prosecution not only for stealing money, but also for not reporting it as income subject to state tax.”

Foeller will go before a judge in November to determine restitution, according to the Tax Commission.

Idahoans can help fight the crime of tax fraud by reporting it to the Tax Commission at fraud@tax.idaho.gov. Individuals may also go online to complete the fraud referral form at this Commission web page. People who contact the Tax Commission about possible alleged fraud can choose to remain anonymous.