OCALA DENTIST ABOUT TO BE PROSECUTED FOR IRS DISPUTE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

FRIDAY, JANUARY 25, 2013                              

MARK E. SCHLEBEN, ATTORNEY AT LAW

1423 SOUTH FORT HARRISON AVENUE

CLEARWATER, FLORIDA 33756

TELEPHONE: (727) 433-8072

FAX: (727) 443-7596

E-MAIL: markforthedefense@gmail.com

WEB: markforthedefense.blogspot.com

OCALA DENTIST ABOUT TO BE PROSECUTED FOR IRS DISPUTE

      OCALA, FLORIDA USA – Mark E. Schleben, Attorney at Law, announces that he has been informed that the United States Attorney in Ocala is about to criminally prosecute his client,

Dr. Thomas Harter, a long-time Ocala dentist with an office located at 9401 SW Highway 200,

Suite 301, Ocala, Florida 34481 (Telephone: (352) 873-1335) (www.harterdental.com). Prosecution has been authorized on various tax charges, mostly misdemeanors.

      The prosecution is set to commence against Dr. Harter despite his position that he received immunity under Florida law and that he was merely exercising his constitutional rights. Dr. Harter's defense is likely to center on opposing the prosecution's theory that Dr. Harter willfully broke the law.

       Additionally, the issue of whether this latest action fits within a recent trend of federal prosecutorial overreaching will come into play. Some examples:

• Federal prosecutors knowingly concealed exculpatory evidence and allowed false testimony to be presented at trial in their overzealous pursuit of criminal charges against the late Republican Senator Ted Stevens, according to the findings of a special investigation.The Court dismissed the charges. See “Report blasts prosecutors in Ted Stevens case”, published on March 15, 2012, in Politico.  Available at: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0312/74056.html

• Federal prosecutors traveled across the aisle and went after former Democratic Senator and Presidential Candidate John Edwards despite a vague campaign finance laws and an untrustworthy star witness. A jury acquitted Edwards. See “Why the John Edwards prosecution went down in flames”, published on July 1, 2012, in the Christian Science Monitor. Available at: http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Justice/2012/0601/Why-the-John-Edwards-prosecution-went- down-in-flames

• After 10 years of harrassment by the IRS and federal prosecutors, Jerry Marchelletta was finally set free on September 12, 2012, with all charges completely dismissed against him. Along the way, Mr. Marchelletta had to fight wrongful charges of tax evasion, tax fraud, and tax conspiracy charges and faced years in federal prison. Thanks to the energetic defense provided by Robert Bernhfot, a prominent criminal tax defense attorney based out of Austin, Texas, Mr. Marchalletta and his father got their lives back. See “Tax charges dismissed against Alpharetta businessman”, published on September 12, 2012 in the Atlanta-Journal Constituton. 
  Available at: http://www.ajc.com/news/news/tax-charges-dismissed-against-alpharetta-businessm/nR9Cy/

      The big question: Is Dr. Harter being prosecuted for exercising his constitutional rights?

      Dr. Harter stands ready and willing to turn himself in and defend himself. All the prosecution needs to do is contact his attorney and Dr. Harter will personally appear anywhere he is required. It is expected that prosecutors will also cooperate in preventing Dr. Harter's patients from needlessly suffering disruption in their dental care, and preventing Dr. Harter's employees from suffering a sudden loss of their jobs.

      FURTHER INFORMATION: The news media as well as the general public may follow the progress of Dr. Harter's defense against the forthcoming federal tax charges by going to the Federal Court's Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER). Anyone may access or obtain a PACER account by going to: www.pacer.gov The public can call or visit the Federal Court's Clerk's Office located at 207 N. Second Street, Ocala, Florida 34475, Telephone (352) 369-4860, www.flmd.uscourts.gov. Court proceedings are generally open to the public.