The owner of an olive oil bottling company has been charged with benefits fraud, tax evasion, and other crimes.
The Minnesota Department of Revenue announced that the Clay County Attorney’s Office recently charged Christine Mary Conrad, of Moorhead, with six felony counts of filing false or fraudulent income tax returns; six felony counts of willfully failing to pay income tax; six felony counts of filing false or fraudulent sales tax returns; six felony counts of failing to pay sales and use tax and six felony counts of wrongfully obtaining assistance.
The complaint states that Conrad filed fraudulent individual income tax and sales tax returns and failed to pay income tax and sales tax for tax years 2019 through 2024.
The complaint alleges that Conrad is the owner of Reese & Riley’s Olive Oil & Bistro Bar and a parent company, Reasons LLC.
Department investigators determined that Conrad had filed tax returns showing taxable income ranging from $17,332 to $28,452.
However, banking information and other financial documents showed that Conrad had made several large purchases during that time that required payments exceeding the income she claimed on her returns.
For example, the annual mortgage payment on her new-construction home was over $44,000, well above the income she claimed to earn.
The complaint states that Conrad also claimed a much higher income on loan applications for a vehicle and a jet ski. When asked about the loan applications, Conrad allegedly told investigators that the dollar amount people put on loan applications doesn’t mean they make that much. She allegedly owes over $123,000 in income tax, penalties, and interest.