Camarillo realtor sentenced for income tax evasion
VENTURA, Calif. - A Camarillo realtor who pleaded guilty to income tax evasion has been sentenced to 180 days in jail.
Ventura County District Attorney Gregory Totten announced the sentence of 62-year-old Debra Elaine Ashcraft on Thursday.
Ashcraft is a real estate agent from Camarillo who is licensed by the California Department of Real Estate. In January, Ashcraft pleaded guilty to failing to file her California tax returns.
An investigation revealed that Ashcraft structured bank deposits of commissions she earned from real estate sales in a way that avoided triggering mandatory bank reporting requirements in an effort to conceal her income from tax authorities. Tax law requires banks to report any transactions that exceed $10,000.
The District Attorney's Office said that Ashcraft also failed to file income tax returns for 2013 through 2017. Her income from this time period totaled about $1 million.
Ashcraft will serve 180 days at the Ventura County Jail and has been ordered to pay $78,000 in restitution. She will also be placed on felony probation for five years.
