Woman pleads guilty to filing false tax returns

A Cape Girardeau woman has pleaded guilty to two felony charges of filing false tax returns.

According to a news release from the Department of Justice, Patricia Stahly, 54, who worked as a business manager for her husband Randall L. Stahly's Cape Girardeau medical practice, Neurological Consultants of Cape, submitted Schedule C documents with federal income tax returns in 2005 and 2006 to the Internal Revenue Service that contained substantial understatements of the gross receipts for the medical practice, and claimed inflated business expenses.

In 2005, Stahly showed the total tax on the return to be $64,151 when it should have been $127,204. In 2006, the total tax on the return submitted was $17, 492 when it should have been $130,021.

Each count against Stahly carries a maximum penalty of up to three years in prison and/or fines up to $250,000.

Stahly's sentencing is set for Nov. 3.