Arizona Dog Breeder Indicted For Allegedly Failing to Pay Income Tax

PINAL COUNTY - Attorney General Mark Brnovich announced a State Grand Jury has indicted Theresa Cook of Apache Junction with charges of filing fraudulent Arizona Income Tax Returns. Cook is accused of failing to pay Arizona personal income tax on money earned from her business selling puppies between 2016 and 2017.

The Arizona Department of Revenue’s Criminal Investigations Unit alleged that Cook earned approximately $122,124 from her puppy business in 2016. She earned approximately $50,542 in 2017. Her Apache Junction-based business closed in July 2017. In total, Cook is accused of failing to pay income tax on $172,666, involving the sale of approximately 200 puppies during the 2016-2017 period.

Cook was indicted back in January 2020, but investigators were not able to serve Cook or her attorney until July 2020. It is believed that Cook is currently residing out of state.

All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

Assistant Attorney General Kimberly Nye is prosecuting this case.

Copy of indictment here.

No booking photo is available.

Wednesday, August 5, 2020