ATTORNEY PLEADS GUILTY TO FAILURE TO FILE INCOME TAX RETURNS

Maryland Attorney General J. Joseph Curran, Jr. announces today the conviction of Joe Carl Ashworth, a recently disbarred attorney from St. Mary’s County. Ashworth, age 54, plead guilty to 3 counts of Failure to File Income Tax Returns before the Honorable Judge Joseph P. Manck in Anne Arundel County Circuit Court. In a statement of facts read into the record, Judge Manck learned that Ashworth had a solo legal practice in St. Mary’s County from 1996 to 2004. Based on generating gross income from his legal practice of between $50,000 and $168,000 for each of the tax years of 2001, 2002, and 2003, Ashworth was required to file state income tax returns. In court, Ashworth admitted that he willfully failed to file state income tax returns each of the past 3 years.

Under the terms of the plea agreement, Ashworth can receive up to 3 years incarceration, with all but 4 months suspended. As a condition of his probation, Ashworth will be required to comply with the Office of the Comptroller in paying all past due taxes. Sentencing has been scheduled before Judge Manck for February 28, 2005.

The case was investigated and prosecuted by the Criminal Investigations Division of the Office of the Attorney General.

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