Vrieling Financial owner, wife convicted in tax case

SPOKANE - The owner of the Moses Lake-based Vrieling Financial and his wife were convicted of not filing their taxes for four years.

An U.S. District Court jury convicted J. Scott Vrieling and Patricia D. Vrieling of eight counts of failing to file taxes between them, according to court records. The two did not file income tax returns for 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007, after reportedly making enough money to need to file a tax return, according to court records.

The misdemeanors carry no more than a year in prison, a $100,000 fine and a year of probation, according to court records.

The U.S. Attorney General's Office for Eastern Washington declined to comment on the case until sentencing is complete.

J. Scott Vrieling is the owner of Vrieling Financial, an insurance brokerage and consulting firm. The insurance brokerage and consulting services firm has operated in Moses Lake since 1949, according to the company's website.

The Vrielings are appealing the conviction.

They chose not to comment.

- Staff report