Accountant Defrauded Company of Tax Money, Deputies Say

A New Port Richey woman was arrested Friday and accused of defrauding her client of tax money.

Jacquelyn Beth Jeannotte owned and managed Total Bookkeeping Services between March 2009 and December 2010, according to a Pasco County Sheriff’s detective. During that time, she was hired to make payments to the IRS on behalf of Jerry Mills Discount Pumping. 

The company would give the accounting firm two blank checks every month: one for the IRS payment and another for services tendered. Checks were made out to Jeannottte and employees of Total Bookkeeping.

In December 2010, the client began getting notices of delinquent taxes, according to an arrest report. The company hadn’t paid taxes in 18 months. The company hired another accountant to make up $20,000 in unpaid taxes.

Jeannotte blamed discrepancies within the IRS.

The detective reviewed records and found that $10,880 in checks had been made out to Jeannotte or her company from the client’s account between October 2009 and December 2010.

Jeannotte then admitted she used some of the client’s funds to cover other accounts, according to the arrest report. She told the detective she did not make payments to the IRS that she should have and estimated she took between $2,000 and $3,000 without the client’s permission.

Jeannotte, 40, 0f 6007 Fiscal Drive, was arrested Friday and booked into the Land O' Lakes Jail and then released on $5,000 bail on Saturday.