FORMER BOAT DEALER CHARGED WITH FELONY TAX THEFT

Attorney General J. Joseph Curran, Jr. announced today that a criminal information has been filed in Queen Anne’s County Circuit Court charging 63 year old Kenneth Ervin Meneely, Jr. of Huntingtown, Maryland with one count of felony theft, one count of fraudulent misappropriation by a fiduciary, and six counts of wilful failure to remit excise tax. It is alleged that between May 8, 2004 and September 30, 2004, Meneely, who was a licensed boat dealer, collected more than $44,000.00 in excise tax from six individual boat purchasers and failed to remit the tax, as required by statute, to the Department of Natural Resources. An initial appearance has been scheduled for May 27, 2004 in the Circuit Court for Queen Anne’s County.

All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted, the maximum penalty for felony theft is 15 years and up to a $1,000.00 fine, and restitution. Fraudulent misappropriation by a fiduciary, if proven, carries a maximum penalty of five years, and wilful failure to remit excise tax, if proven, carries a maximum penalty of five years or up to a $5,000.00 fine.

The case will be prosecuted by the Office of the Attorney General, Criminal Investigations Division and was investigated by CID with the assistance of the Department of Natural Resource Police and auditors.

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