Camas accountant to be sentenced for tax fraud, tax evasion

By Will Campbell, Columbian Innovation Editor

Camas accountant Drew Q. Miller is due to be sentenced Oct. 17 in U.S. District Court for personal tax fraud, making false statements and tax evasion.

Miller signed a plea agreement on July 22 to criminal charges that accused him of failing to pay federal income tax installments between 2014 and 2016.

Kirkland Development, which was not accused of any crimes, hired Miller as an independent contractor accountant in 2006. Miller earned about $120,000 annually in salary plus monthly car allowances and profit-sharing bonuses.

According to court documents, Miller failed to file a 2009 tax return. In 2011, the IRS audited Miller for the year 2008 and assessed additional taxes, leading to Miller agreeing to make installments to settle his tax liability for 2008. Miller again failed to file a tax return in 2011. He also did not report on his 2012 return that he received a substantial part of his income from Kirkland in 2012, according to court documents.

In 2013, Miller began cashing out large portions of his paychecks, and he stopped making payments on the 2008 taxes. He also stated that his gross receipts for 2013 were $60,000, when in truth they exceeded $132,000, documents state.

Miller did not make the tax settlement installment payments on the 2008 tax return from 2014 to 2016.

After he was indicted, he failed to appear for arraignment. Police arrested him four days later.

The sentencing from a federal judge could cost Miller a maximum term of up to a year of imprisonment, a fine of $25,000 and a year of supervision after his sentence. He could also be given probation for up to five years, according to the plea agreement.

U.S. District Court Judge Benjamin H. Settle will sentence Miller in Tacoma on Oct. 17 at 1 p.m.

Heather Carroll, attorney for Miller, declined to comment on the case.

This story was updated to accurately state where the sentencing will occur.