Watts arrested for posing as a CPA
A local accountant has been arrested for allegedly posing as a licensed professional and forging the name of a certified public accountant on legal documents.
The defendant, Evelyn Reed Watts, was arrested this week after indictments were rendered against her by the grand jury earlier this month. She is charged with three counts of forgery, three counts of official misconduct and one count of impersonation of a licensed professional. She is free on $20,000 bond.
According to indictments against Watts, she allegedly forged the name of local CPA Rufus Gonder on documents she completed for some of her customers. The forgeries were discovered on documents Watts allegedly completed for a pair of local businesses.
According to District Attorney General Dale Potter, Watts forged Gonder’s name on the documents and also used Gonder’s CPA license number. Watts reportedly did not have permission to forge the name.
“She does not have a license, and never has as far as we can tell,” Potter said. “We’ve been told she has hired herself out as a CPA for several years.”
Watts operated her business out of a house on Chancery Street, directly across the front parking lot from the district attorney’s office.
The investigation which led to Watts’ arrest began after complaints were received by the state regulating agency which oversees public accountants. An investigation was then launched by the state into the phony signatures which eventually led back to Watts.