New York Man Charged with Criminal Tax Fraud and Related Charges

Orange County District Attorney David M. Hoovler announced that Fernando Ehrhardt, 51, of New York, was arrested and charged with Criminal Tax Fraud in the Third and Fourth Degrees and Repeated Failure to File Personal Income and Earnings Taxes.  As the charges were not bail eligible, Ehrhardt was released on his own recognizance at his arraignment in the Town of New Windsor Court on May 30, 2024.

As alleged in charges filed in court, during tax years 2016 through 2020, the defendant, a licensed dentist in New York State, was employed by several dental practices in Orange County and received income in the form of both W2 and 1099 income.  The defendant had unpaid tax liabilities and failed to file personal tax returns from 2016 through 2020.  The defendant thereby defrauded New York State an amount in excess of thirteen thousand dollars.  Previously, in August 2017, a tax warrant was filed against him for nonpayment of taxes during tax years 2010-2013.

District Attorney Hoovler thanked the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance and the Orange County Sheriff’s Office for their investigation which led to the arrest of the defendant.  The case is being handled by the Orange County White Collar Crime Task Force.

The multi-agency Task Force, which includes investigators from the Orange County District Attorney’s Office, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, the New York State Department of Financial Services, the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance and several other local police agencies including the Town of Newburgh Police Department, the Village of Warwick Police Department, the Village of Goshen Police Department and the Town of Woodbury Police Department, was created in March 2023 to focus on enhancing the investigation and prosecution of public corruption and financial crimes.  The Task Force’s mandate includes the investigation of residential contractor fraud; crimes involving public integrity, public corruption, and ethics violations; embezzlement and other complex theft cases, crimes against revenue; wage theft and labor law violations.

“Taxes are a collective responsibility and we all owe our share,” said District Attorney David M. Hoovler. “Law enforcement will seek to find those who attempt to skirt their tax responsibilities and who commit fraud in order to line their own pockets.  I commend the cooperation between the Department of Taxation and Finance and the Orange County White Collar Crime Task Force.  Working together we can and do uncover fraud that effects all of us.”

Acting Commissioner of the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance Amanda Hiller said: “Our tax system has clear requirements for working individuals to file accurate and timely returns. People who fail to do so over an extended period should expect to face serious consequences.”

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Tanja Beemer.

A criminal charge is merely an allegation by the police that a defendant has committed a violation of the criminal law, and it is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the State of New York’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.