Suspect’s court date rescheduled

Newport Beach resident Jolene Engel, who faces charges of not reporting millions of dollars on her tax returns, was in court Friday morning, but the judge was absent because of a death in his family.

After Engel failed to show up in court Tuesday, Judge William R. Froeberg ordered the 59-year-old to be present Friday; otherwise, he said, a warrant for her arrest would be issued.

Engel’s court date was rescheduled to 8:30 a.m. March 5 in Room C40 at the Santa Ana Court House.

According to the state tax board, Engel and her former husband Richard Engel failed to report a gross income of nearly $190 million from his Huntington Beach-based company, Powerplant Maintenance Specialists Inc. They owe about $9 million in state corporate income taxes, officials said.

The Engels also allegedly failed to report more than $12.2 million in personal income on their taxes from 1998 to 2000. They owe more than $2 million in penalties, tax board officials said.

— Mona Shadia