Orono Man Embroiled in Tax Evasion Scheme with Twin Cities-Based Auto Group
A 58-year-old Orono resident has been charged with using a Montana shell company to evade Minnesota sales taxes on dozens of vehicles, according to Hennepin County authorities. The scheme allegedly netted the perpetrator at least $350,745 in unpaid taxes, not including interest and penalties.
The Twin Cities-based Walser Automotive Group, led by CEO Andrew Walser, is accused of working with William Fredrick Ward to improperly title over 30 vehicles in Montana. Despite being ultimately sold in Minnesota, where they would be subject to sales tax, the group used a Montana shell company to avoid paying the tax. Prosecutors say that Ward was paid an equal share of the profits from the scheme.
The business reportedly began around 2017 when Ward started working with Walser on buying and selling high-end vehicles. According to investigators, Walser provided financing, paperwork, and warehouse space for the vehicles, which included luxury brands such as Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, and Land Rover.
To avoid paying sales tax, Ward would purchase cars in Montana using a non-existent business owned by Walser, who then had him issue the title in that company's name. The scheme allegedly took advantage of the COVID-19 pandemic shortage of used cars to inflate prices on new vehicles, which were then sold as used and given a Montana title.
An internal whistleblower revealed to investigators that the company had leased vehicles to employees for short periods so they could sell them as used, further fueling the tax evasion scheme. The Walser Automotive Group's involvement in the scheme has raised questions about their commitment to "always doing the right thing," according to CEO Andrew Walser, who claimed that his business operates under a core value of ethics and integrity.
A 58-year-old Orono resident has been charged with using a Montana shell company to evade Minnesota sales taxes on dozens of vehicles, according to Hennepin County authorities. The scheme allegedly netted the perpetrator at least $350,745 in unpaid taxes, not including interest and penalties.
The Twin Cities-based Walser Automotive Group, led by CEO Andrew Walser, is accused of working with William Fredrick Ward to improperly title over 30 vehicles in Montana. Despite being ultimately sold in Minnesota, where they would be subject to sales tax, the group used a Montana shell company to avoid paying the tax. Prosecutors say that Ward was paid an equal share of the profits from the scheme.
The business reportedly began around 2017 when Ward started working with Walser on buying and selling high-end vehicles. According to investigators, Walser provided financing, paperwork, and warehouse space for the vehicles, which included luxury brands such as Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, and Land Rover.
To avoid paying sales tax, Ward would purchase cars in Montana using a non-existent business owned by Walser, who then had him issue the title in that company's name. The scheme allegedly took advantage of the COVID-19 pandemic shortage of used cars to inflate prices on new vehicles, which were then sold as used and given a Montana title.
An internal whistleblower revealed to investigators that the company had leased vehicles to employees for short periods so they could sell them as used, further fueling the tax evasion scheme. The Walser Automotive Group's involvement in the scheme has raised questions about their commitment to "always doing the right thing," according to CEO Andrew Walser, who claimed that his business operates under a core value of ethics and integrity.
. I mean, you've got this one guy setting up a fake company in Montana and using it to avoid paying sales tax on cars sold in Minnesota... it's just basic math 
. And let's not forget that Walser Automotive Group is supposed to be all about ethics and integrity, but I'm sure they were just trying to make a quick buck during the pandemic 
. The thing is, this isn't just about one guy or one company, it's about the system we have in place that allows these kinds of schemes to happen 
. We need to make sure we're holding everyone accountable for their actions, not just the ones who get caught 
. Anyway, I hope they get what's coming to them and pay up 
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I'm so shocked by this news! It just goes to show you how some people will do anything to avoid paying taxes. And it's not just the individual involved here, but also an entire auto group that enabled this scheme. I mean, come on, Andrew Walser, you're calling yourself out for doing "the right thing" after something like this? 
It sounds like a bunch of fancy bookkeeping and loopholes to me. And what really gets my blood boiling is that it's not just the person who made the money off this scheme who's being punished, but also the auto group as a whole. I hope they take steps to clean up their act and make sure something like this doesn't happen again in the future. 
, I mean think about it - they're buying all these luxury cars in Montana, giving 'em fake titles, and selling 'em as used cars in Minnesota... it's like they're playing some kinda tax evasion game with the whole pandemic thing still fresh on everyone's mind. And now they're saying they were just trying to "always do the right thing" 
? come on, something fishy is going on here... or maybe I'm just seeing patterns everywhere like I always do 
. Like what even is the point of having one if you're just gonna use it to cheat? And the fact that they were able to get away with this for so long is just wild... I mean, I know they're not the only ones who've done something shady, but still - it's not cool when people in positions of power think they can just game the system 
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. I mean, shouldn't there be more checks in place to prevent such schemes from happening in the first place? It seems like a pretty straightforward way for someone to make a lot of money by taking advantage of loopholes 
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! Can't believe they thought they could get away with evading so much tax money 
. Using a shell company to avoid paying sales tax? That's some next-level sneaky stuff 
. And to think they were making at least $350k in "unpaid taxes"... like, what even is that? 
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. It's about time someone held the Walser Automotive Group accountable for their actions 
. Like, no one wants to do business with a company that thinks they can just scam the system and get away with it 
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. This whole thing just gives me so much life, you feel? 
. It's like he's saying "we're a good company" while his employees are doing shady stuff behind the scenes 
? It's wild to think about how they got away with this for so long and then an internal whistleblower came forward 
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. Anyway, it's not like the Walser Automotive Group was doing anything shady... oh wait, they were! 
. I mean, who doesn't love a good scheme that involves a shell company and some fancy cars? And let's give props to the whistleblower for speaking out - I'm sure they're just having a blast telling all their friends about it 
! I mean, come on, they're making bank off evading taxes and then trying to spin it as some kind of "core value" thing? Like, no Andrew Walser, just 'cause you've got a fancy title don't make you immune from the law 
. And what's with this Montana shell company scheme? Sounds like a total racket to me 
. The fact that they were able to rake in $350k+ in unpaid taxes is just staggering - can't even be bothered to pay their fair share of taxes, let alone consider the impact on everyday Minnesotans who have to foot the bill for these shady dealings 
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. Anyway, this whole thing is just another reminder that you can't always trust a fancy title or a CEO who claims to be all about ethics 
!!! I mean, I know they're both successful in their careers, but come on! They're supposed to be role models 
. And the amount of money they allegedly got away with ($350,745) is insane 