Judge Critical Of Prosecutors In Tax Evasion Case
WEST PALM BEACH (AP) – A West Palm Beach woman who was hit with tax evasion charges should receive a presidential pardon, according to a federal judge.
That's the opinion of U.S. District Judge Kennedy Ryskamp who harshly criticized federal prosecutors for bringing the charges against 79-year-old Mary Estelle Curran and said she didn't deserve a felony conviction.
Curran had contacted the Internal Revenue Service in 2009 after realizing she owed taxes on money in a Swiss bank she inherited from her husband. Because her information had been turned over to the IRS by Swiss bank UBS, federal prosecutors brought charges against Curran.
She ultimately pleaded guilty and paid the IRS $21.6 million. Last Thursday, Ryskamp sentenced Mrs. Curran to 12 months' probation and then immediately terminated it.
The Palm Beach Post reported that Ryskamp said she deserves a pardon.
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