RALEIGH – A Union County man pleaded guilty Friday in Wake County District Court to felony tax charges filed by the North Carolina Department of Revenue.

Phillip Rorie, 34, of 1002 Hollingdale Court, Indian Trail, pleaded guilty on July 8, 2005 to five counts of attempting to evade or defeat state taxes, which included a charge for providing false documentation to the Department of Revenue.

Wake County District Court Judge Jane P. Gray sentenced Rorie to a six-month minimum, eight-month maximum prison term. The sentence was suspended and Rorie was placed on supervised probation for 36 months. He was ordered to pay a $1,250 fine and perform 100 hours of community service within 12 months.

Information revealed in court showed that Rorie prepared fraudulent income tax returns for tax years 2001 through 2004, claiming false deductions, losses and expenses. The inflated deductions, losses and expenses were deliberately calculated and intended to deceive the Department of Revenue to issue tax refunds to the defendant that were larger than he was legally entitled to receive.

The charges against Rorie resulted from an investigation by an auditor with the Department’s Charlotte Examinations Office and a special agent with the Department’s Criminal Investigations Division in Raleigh.

Last modified on: 10/31/07 03:44:15 PM .