Investigation Results/Statistics
Disciplinary Actions During 2007
The Board has completed the following disciplinary actions during 2007:
License and certificate suspensions (including stayed suspension) and revocations:
Paul Shui-chi Yip. Hong Kong. October 19, 2007.
Violation: Misrepresentation on application for CPA-Inactive certificate renewal; Failed to document completion of Continuing Professional Education (CPE) required to maintain a CPA-Inactive certificate but signed a statement under penalty of perjury that Yip had completed the requirements.
Sanctions: Suspension of CPA-Inactive certificate for one year. As a condition for reinstatement, Yip must submit a complete reinstatement application including original documentation supporting the satisfactory completion of qualifying Continuing Professional Education (CPE) required for reinstatement, reimburse Board $600 for costs, pay $500 fine, and complete the AICPA's course in professional ethics.
Chun Hyong Lee, Tacoma, September 28, 2007.
Violation: Guilty plea in US District Court on October 4, 2002 to one count of structuring currency transactions.
Sanctions: Suspension of CPA certificate and individual and firm licenses effective from October 4, 2002 and until Lee applies for reinstatement, pays $10,000 fine, reimburses Board $1,750 for investigative and legal costs. Lee may not apply for reinstatement of CPA license until October 4, 2012.
Teresa A. Grannemann. Sumner. September 28, 2007.
Violation: Misrepresentation on application for license renewal; Failed to document completion of Continuing Professional Education (CPE) required to maintain a CPA license but signed a statement under penalty of perjury that Grannemann had completed the requirements.
Sanctions: Suspension of CPA license for one year. As conditions for reinstatement, Grannemann must submit a complete reinstatement application including original documentation supporting the satisfactory completion of qualifying Continuing Professional Education (CPE) required for reinstatement, reimburse Board $250 for costs, and pay $640 fine.
Update: February 25, 2008 CPA license reinstated.
James Pulsifer, Seattle. July 27, 2007.
Violation: Guilty plea to one count of false representation of a material fact on form LM-2 filed with the United State Department of Labor.
Sanctions: Stayed suspension of CPA certificate and licenses (individual and firm) to practice public accounting for one year; CPA agreed to (1) fully comply with the terms of probation ordered by the US District Court; (2) pay a $1,000 fine; and (3) reimburse Board $250 for costs.
Charles F. Benton, Tacoma, June 25, 2007.
Violation: Failure to fully respond to Board inquiries regarding tax liens published in the Daily Journal of Commerce, failure to comply with the terms of a prior Board order dated August 31, 2005, failure to timely provide an employee with a W-2 Wage and Tax Statement for 2005, and failure to return a client's personal and company records.
Sanctions: Seven-year suspension of CPA certificate, individual license, and eligibility to register CPA firm. As conditions to reinstatement Benton must serve a minimum of five years of the suspension, submit a complete reinstatement application, complete AICPA ethics course, pay $7,500 fine, reimburse Board $5,000 for investigative and legal costs, fully respond to Board's inquiries regarding tax liens, provide a release to the IRS to provide the Board with all records regarding Benton's nonpayment or late payment of federal taxes, return client records, and submit to preissue review of all report to financial statements for five years.
Charles F. Benton, Tacoma, June 15, 2007.
Violation: Failure to respond to Board inquiries regarding an allegation of check forgery.
Sanctions: Three-year suspension of CPA certificate, individual license, and eligibility to register CPA firm. As conditions to reinstatement Benton must submit complete reinstatement application, complete AICPA ethics course, pay $2,500 fine, reimburse Board $800 for investigative and legal costs, and fully respond to Board's inquiries regarding allegations.
Sonya Mara Vazquez, Port Orchard, May 14, 2007.
Violation: Issue of compilation report without valid CPA firm license; Continued to provide accounting services to client, continued to display signage as "Certified Public Accountants," and continued to use email address containing "cpa" after relinquishment of CPA firm license and the suspension of CPA certificate and individual practice license in November 2005.
Sanctions: Three-year stayed suspension of CPA certificate and eligibility to renew or reinstate individual and firm licenses. CPA certificate and eligibility to renew or reinstate individual and firm licenses are currently under suspension. Therefore, current order will become effective only if Vazquez' CPA license is reinstated following compliance with all conditions for reinstatement contained in previous Stipulation and Agreed Order. Once stayed suspension becomes effective Vazquez must subject first compilation, first review, and first review reports to preissue review and participate in Board's QAR program.
Danya M. Boyer. Bremerton. April 27, 2007.
Violation: Conversion of Canterwood Golf & Country Club funds to personal use, falsification of financial statements to mislead Club management, and failure to respond to Board inquiries.
Sanctions: Revocation of CPA certificate and eligibility to renew or reinstate practice licenses for 10 years and until Boyer requalifies for CPA licenses. Requalification includes education, examination, experience, and ethics requirements in place at the time of application.
Henry Chi Yin Lam. Hong Kong. January 31, 2007.
Violation: Guilty plea to Eastern Magistrates' Court summons for holding Brodick Capital Limited in Hong Kong out as carrying on a business in a regulated activity namely, advising on corporate finance, when it was not licensed for such activity by the Securities and Futures Commission of Hong Kong.
Sanctions: Suspension of CPA license for five years. As conditions for reinstatement, Lam must submit a complete reinstatement application including original documentation supporting the satisfactory completion of qualifying Continuing Professional Education (CPE) required for reinstatement, reimburse Board $900 for costs, and pay $1,000 fine.
John Grant Anderson. Seattle. January 18, 2007.
Violation: Misrepresentation on application for license renewal; Failed to document completion of Continuing Professional Education (CPE) required to maintain a CPA license but signed a statement under penalty of perjury that he had completed the requirements.
Sanctions: Suspension of CPA license for one year. As conditions for reinstatement, Anderson must submit a complete reinstatement application including original documentation supporting the satisfactory completion of qualifying Continuing Professional Education (CPE) required for reinstatement, reimburse Board $100 for costs, and pay $1,000 fine.
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