Tax evasion suspects’ hearing postponed A pretrial...

Tax evasion suspects’ hearing postponed

A pretrial hearing for a Newport Beach man and his ex-wife,

accused of tax evasion and falsifying tax returns, was postponed from

Friday to Jan. 9.

The district attorney called the case against Richard Engel, 59,

owner of Costa Mesa-based Powerplant Maintenance Specialist Inc., and

his wife, Jolene Engel, 52, the biggest tax evasion case ever in the

county and the state.

Prosecutors say the couple did not report more than $190 million

in income and failed to pay the state about $11 million in income

taxes, penalties and the cost of investigation from 1998 to 2001.

Richard Engel has been charged with five felony counts of tax

evasion and two felony counts of falsifying tax returns. Jolene Engel

was charged with seven counts of tax evasion and one count of filing

a false tax return.

Richard and Jolene Engel pleaded not guilty to all charges. They

are each out on $500,000 bail. If convicted, they could each get up

to 16 years and eight months in state prison.