A woman from North Idaho has been placed on probation for evading state income taxes after stealing money from her grandfather.
Nicole Ellis, from Coeur d’Alene, was sentenced to five years of probation by Kootenai County District Court for tax evasion. She must also pay over $20,900 to the Idaho State Tax Commission.
Ellis is already on probation until 2031 for a previous conviction related to grand theft and exploiting a vulnerable adult, which is connected to this case. Her tax evasion sentence will run separately from her previous one.
In 2019, Ellis used her role as her grandfather’s power of attorney to access his bank account and steal over $306,000. She was only supposed to help manage his finances, not use the money for herself. Ellis made unauthorized payments, transactions, and ATM withdrawals.
The Idaho State Tax Commission found that Ellis intentionally avoided paying taxes on the stolen money by not reporting it on her 2019 tax return.
“People must report all income on their taxes, even if it’s from illegal activities,” said Jeff McCray, Chairman of the Tax Commission. “Providing false or incomplete information on tax returns is fraud.”
The Tax Commission identifies tax crimes by reviewing tax returns, audits, and tips from law enforcement or the public.