(Wilmington, DE) – Patrick T. Carter, Director of Revenue announced today that a Wilmington insurance agent entered a guilty plea in NCC Superior Court for failing to file a State of Delaware tax return.

Richard F. Broadbent, age 44, entered a guilty plea before NCC Judge Jan R. Jurden to one misdemeanor count of willfully failing to file his 1999 Delaware personal income tax return. He originally was charged in a three-count indictment in April 2003 with willfully failing to file income tax returns.

Broadbent was sentenced to one-year probation and ordered to pay a $1,000 fine. He was also ordered to pay restitution to the Division of Revenue in the amount of $9,951.00.

An investigation conducted by the Delaware Division of Revenue’s Criminal Investigation Unit revealed that Broadbent, owner and operator of Rick F. Broadbent Insurance, failed to report more than $490,000 of gross income received from the operation of his insurance business in the years 1999 through 2001. During the years in question, Broadbent chose not to file Delaware income tax returns even though he knew he was required to do so.

The tax loss to the State of Delaware on the unreported income was more than $9,500.

This case was prosecuted by the Delaware Attorney General’s office.