Wapello Man Sentenced to Six Months in Federal Prison For Failing to File Income Tax Returns

DES MOINES, IA – Bradley Earl Ewart, age 51, of Wapello, was sentenced Monday,
August 1, 2022, to 6 months in prison for failing to file income tax returns. Ewart pleaded guilty
on March 24, 2022, to two counts of failure to file income tax returns, one for each of the calendar
years 2016 and 2018. The Court imposed a three-month prison sentence on each count, to be
served consecutively. Following completion of his prison term, Ewart will be on supervised
release for one year. The Court imposed a $20,000 fine.
Since approximately 2004, Ewart has owned and operated Louisa County Millwright,
LLC, a business that specializes in grain elevator work, material handling, steel building
installation, and fabrication. Ewart failed to file federal income tax returns for the years 2004 to
2014. As part of his plea, Ewart admitted that he knowingly and willfully failed to file tax returns
for the years 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018. Ewart remains responsible for paying his tax liability
in full.
“Mr. Ewart admitted that he repeatedly failed to file his federal income tax returns the
majority of the time his business was in operation,” said Tyler Hatcher, Special Agent in Charge
for the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) – Criminal Investigations. “Earning prison time and a
$20,000 fine for this offense sends a clear message that we all have the responsibility to file
accurate returns on time and pay our fair share of taxes.”
United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the
announcement. IRS Criminal Investigations investigated the case. The case was prosecuted by
Assistant United States Attorney Adam J. Kerndt