South Lake Tahoe CEO Pleads Guilty to Employment Tax Crimes

A California man pleaded guilty yesterday to willfully failing to pay employment tax withholdings to the IRS.

According to court documents and statements made in court, in 2016 and 2017, Robert Hienekamp was the chief executive officer of Endowance Solutions Inc., a software consulting and development company located in the South Lake Tahoe, California, area. During each of those years, Endowance Solutions withheld income, Social Security and Medicare taxes from its employees’ wages. Hienekamp did not file the legally-required quarterly employment tax returns or pay the withholdings to the IRS, despite knowing of his obligation to do so. In total, Hienekamp caused a tax loss of over $800,000.

Hienekamp is scheduled to be sentenced on June 27, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. He also faces a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey for the Northern District of California made the announcement.

IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.

Trial Attorney Mahana Weidler of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Lagrama for the Northern District of California are prosecuting the case.