Judge Edmund Sargus, of the U.S. District Court, accepted the plea, although no sentencing date has been set.
Pappas’ charge is related to the case of Aristotle R. Matsa, a Columbus attorney who is facing 15 counts of aiding and assisting in the preparation of false and fraudulent tax returns, according to information from the Justice Department. Matsa is also facing one count of conspiracy to commit obstruction of justice; one count of witness tampering; one count of failing to file a report of foreign bank and financial accounts; one count of witness tampering; one count of submitting a false statement and one count of obstruction of justice.
Craig Casserly, a public information officer for the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation, said Matsa is still awaiting trial. A court date had been set for Feb. 22, but that date was vacated and has not yet been rescheduled.
Pappas was accused of making false statements to a federal grand jury investigating a law firm owned by Matsa in Columbus’ Short North district. Information from the Justice Department shows Pappas told the grand jury, as well as federal investigators, he was the owner of Matsa’s law firm.
Pappas faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years probation.
Ronald Tompkins, an Urbana attorney representing Pappas, said the case against his client has been pending for years.
“It’s been a long and arduous process,” he said.
Tompkins said Pappas was trying to help his client and things got out of control when federal authorities got involved. He said Matsa was involved in a divorce case, and Pappas said he owned the firm so Matsa would not have to list it as an asset in that case.
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