Des Moines, IA – A Central Iowa man made his initial appearance today (Thursday)  in federal court for numerous tax charges. 40-year-old Bakou Kees Vonty (also known as Bob Vonty), is charged in a 39-count indictment returned on March 21, 2023. As alleged in the indictment, from at least 2015 through 2021, Vonty prepared Individual Income Tax Returns for numerous customers who paid him to prepare and file their tax returns.

Vonty acted as a “ghost preparer,” meaning that Vonty did not sign his customers’ tax returns when he prepared and filed them. Vonty prepared the customers’ tax returns but did not explain the contents of the returns to the customers, review the returns with the customers, or provide copies of the returns to the customers before Vonty electronically filed the returns with the Internal Revenue Service. Instead, Vonty would typically inform the customer of the amount of their anticipated refund.

It is alleged that Vonty often included on his customers’ federal tax returns, schedules, and forms, items that Vonty knew to be false, such as false claims for business-expense deductions and education expenses. The effect of Vonty including false items on the tax documents was to increase the refunds his clients received.

In addition, it is alleged that Vonty also filed several of his own federal income tax returns knowing that they contained false information. Vonty is charged with thirty-six counts of Preparing and Presenting a False Tax Return and three counts of Making and Subscribing a False Tax Return. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of three years in prison on each count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation is investigating the case. Assistant United States Attorney Adam J. Kerndt is prosecuting the case.

An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

(Radio Iowa) – Next year, Iowans will vote on a proposed amendment that will align the Iowa Constitution with an election-related change made nationally more than five decades ago.

In 1971, the 26th Amendment the U.S. Constitution was ratified, changing the legal voting age in America from 21 to 18. The proposed amendment to Iowa’s Constitution would specify that U.S. citizens who are at least 18 and residents of the state may vote in Iowa elections.

“It also says 17 year olds who will be 18 by the General Election to register to vote and vote in the Primary, so this is how we already run our elections,” Representative Cindy Golding, a Republican from Palo, said during House debate this week. “It puts in our constitution what is already in our code.”

This proposed amendments to the state constitution got final approval from the House and Senate this spring. It means Iowa voters will see the language for proposed amendment on their 2024 election ballots.

(Radio Iowa) – The police chief in Keota says he is concerned people are staying way too close to tornadoes to get videos and pictures.

Two tornadoes struck the Keota area on March 31st, including an EF-4 tornado packing winds of more than 170 miles an hour. Keota Police Chief Doug Conrad tells KCRG TV that too many people are ignoring warnings to shoot videos.

“You can go on Facebook or Tiktok — people where the storms were, were 300-400 yards from the tornado, and it was a big tornado,” Conrad says. Chief Conrad says it was a trend that was becoming all too common and all too dangerous. He says you may think you are a safe distance away from the storm, but you’re not, and flying debris could be fatal.

Keota storm damage. (KCRG TV photo)

“It wouldn’t be hard to believe that a 2 x 4 or glass could kill somebody,” Conrad says. He says you should think of safety first. “When we get these warnings, don’t ignore them,” Conrad says.

The National Weather Service says the Keota tornado traveled 50 miles. It destroyed 19 homes and one person was injured.