The evening of August 24, Flagler County Sheriff’s deputies and paramedics responded to Robert “Bob” Newsholme’s house at 2 Lee Place in Palm Coast for what turned out to be a bizarre case of what looked like Newsholme’s attempted, and dissimulated, suicide: according to what he told deputies and his family, he’d taken to bed that morning, shot himself in the chest, and hid the fact from his son until 12 hours later, when he was transported to Halifax hospital in Daytona Beach. He also feared he had Covid.
Days before the gunshot wound, FlaglerLive had learned of allegations of fraud about Newsholme’s business, the well-known Flagler Tax Services in Bunnell–allegations that found echoes again and again in readers who had claimed to have been defrauded over the years. On Aug. 25, the day the shooting was reported, people started contacting the Sheriff’s Office as well to claim they’d been defrauded by Newsholme.
Among the facts the Sheriff’s Office uncovered: unlike the way he portrayed himself to his clients, Newsholme, 66, is not a CPA, a Certified Public Accountant.
On Friday, Sheriff’s deputies and detectives, along with agents of the Internal Revenue Service and the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office, served a search warrant on Newsholme’s business, the well-known Flagler Tax Services at 608 E Moody Boulevard. Newsholme opened the business in 2010.
“The allegations against Newsholme currently include Grand Theft, Organized Scheme to Defraud, and Embezzlement,” the Sheriff’s Office reported this morning. “He has a criminal history dating back to the late 1970s in New York for Grand Larceny, Petit Larceny, Issuing Bad Checks with Knowledge, Forgery, and Scheme to Defraud, with the most recent charge for Defraud in 2004.” He’d been arrested locally in 2004 on a New York warrant for grand larceny and scheme to defraud.
The Sheriff’s Office so far has opened 12 active investigations of fraud against Newsholme.
“At this time, we have no indication that any other Flagler Tax Service employees took part in or had knowledge of any illegal activity,” Sheriff Rick Staly said. “Thousands of documents and forensic material are being analyzed as the investigation continues. It’s unfortunate that someone who was trusted in the community would take advantage of so many people that trusted him. Our investigators will not rest until the victims are identified and the suspect is held accountable for his actions.”
The Sheriff’s Office is asking residents who think they may have been a victim of fraud through Flagler Tax Services, or who have received a late notice from the IRS as a result of filing through Newsholme’s services, to contact the agency at 386-313-4911 and file a report. Potential victims also need to contact the IRS with their case number at 800-829-1040 (Individuals) or 800-829-4933 (Businesses). “We also urge residents who may not be known victims of fraud but may have had their tax information seized during the investigation of Flagler Tax Services to contact the IRS,” the agency said in a release this morning.
[This is a developing story]
Dave says
I knew when I first read this story of his attempted suicide and his son not finding out hours later something didn’t add up and smelled pretty fishy to say the least.
I hope all victims get the justice they deserve from this loser. And then to read he isn’t even a certified accountant, hope they throw the book at him.
Wonder how much his wife and son knew about this?
Concerned Citizen says
Somehow I’m not surprised.
We went to him a few years back. I wanted someone to do my taxes locally. But being prior Law Enforcement I run background checks on folks. Just like they would me when doing busniess with them. I was like damn How did the State not know? They licensed him. I turned stuff in and it was never acted on.
Then you have the shitty commercials where he makes fun of everyone. He’s racist as well. For months we have to hear him stereotype Indian People. And 92.7 FM plays right along with it. Ya know I have 3 or 4 friends in my circle that are Indian. They range from store owners to Pharmacists. One is Physicians Assistant working with my wife. They are some of the nicest people you ever meet. And it’s embarassing that the community allows that to transpire during tax season.
So the moral of the story is you act shady and do shitty things Lady karma will rear her head and get you EVERY time.
Percy's mother says
No surprise here. It’s yet another person in Flagler County / Palm Coast claiming to be something he is NOT.
1. We’ve had the fake PhD in the name of Maria Barbosa, who claimed to be licensed to practice in a mental health capacity, who was actually SEEING patients in a mental health capacity, claiming to have a PhD, all the while sitting on the Flagler County School Board. She has neither a PhD nor a license to practice ANYTHING.
2. Then we have a Fake Pastor, with a history of arrests, quoting Bible verses all day but by night trying to destroy people, their businesses, the free press in Flagler County, not to mention holding a large anti-vaccine rally at Church on the Rock in May. The Fake Pastor is also affiliated with the right wing extremist groups here in Flagler county, namely Flagler Republican Liberty Caucus and the Flagler Liberty Coalition (to name just two). After being booted out of the mainstream Flagler Republican Executive Committee at the end of 2020, she then tried to counteract that by forming a close-sounding “political club” called the Flagler County GOP, which has and never had any affiliation to the mainstream Republicans here in Flagler County and Palm Coast. That is, until the big guns stepped in the name of the Republican National Committee. The RNC issued a stern cease and desist regarding her trying to pass herself off as being part of the Republican (GOP) hierarchy at various political events as well as using the term “GOP”. She has since changed the name of her “political club” to something more mundane, but she would never mention that, which is also dishonest in every capacity, which is what she is through and through, just dishonest.
3. Now we have a FAKE CPA who took people’s heard-earned money which was earmarked for payment to the IRS, ALSO with a criminal history in other states.
PEOPLE, for God’s sake, I’ve been talking about this for some time.
1. If I post something on this site, it’s because I know what I’m talking about, and can back it up.
2. DO NOT take anyone around here at his or her word regarding background or credentials. Make sure you do your due diligence and check the person’s background completely,before signing onto their spiel. Remember, people with a criminal past are adept at manipulation and weaving stories about their credentials, their qualifications and their prior life history.
3. A lot of people move to Flagler County / Palm Coast to create a new persona because the old, real persona wasn’t working for them elsewhere OR because they’re trying to cover up past criminal history,
Ray says
Well, I guess my tax service will change. NY scammer!
G A says
I smelled a rat years ago when I asked him a question and he gave a bad answer which revealed he didn’t know what he was talking about. We moved on and hired a real CPA and never looked back. It appears we made the right decision
Jane Gentile-Youd says
Looks like Sheriff has confiscated everything including the personal 2020 tax files of client’s ( such as hubby and me) who did not file a complaint as well as those ‘under investigation’. I must say the Sheriffs staff has been most professional, polite and understanding how many of us just don’t want our personal tax information sitting around . Hopefully the privacy of those of us not involved will not be compromised.
Rose Kaye Wade says
To all you people defending this joker the other day, what are YOU hiding?
Isn’t it funny time and time again, the criminals are members of the righteous Republican party 😂🤣😁
Concerned Citizen says
Nah the Democrats have their share.
It just doesn’t fit the current narrative. And you need to reread the comments on here. All of us are calling him out for what he is. A liar and a fraud.
Terri Cappello says
[email protected]
Well I’m a victim as well. I payed him to be my TRUSTEE of my moms estate. Wow am I stupid. He opened a bank account with my moms name on the checks, and the bank won’t give me the information until the cops get the information. I trusted this jerk and now without his signature I can’t get new tires on my vehicle. I half to hire an attorney out of my pocket to get him off as TRUSTEE. Holly crap!
Gunsmoke says
I have to give credit to the Sheriff and his staff.
Guys like Newsholme are usually known to insiders for what they are and are often tolerated for various reasons – none of them good.
It looks like we have a Sheriff who wants things on the up and up.
Linda L Hartnett says
Several years ago, I was taken in by him. He withheld one of my income statements and I ended up having to file an amended report and pay a penalty. He would not admit that he was wrong.
Rich DeNelle says
Went to Flagler tax Service to have a return revised. He looked at it told $75, which he wanted upfront. Bells went off… I still paid the money, but every move by him and his employees was watched carefully. They never met a deadline, always a story to complete next week. Three weeks later, I threatened with legal intervention startinf with the local police. All of a sudden my paperwork was done. Now he wanted me to pay hime what was owed to the IRS reather then me write a check to IRS. He shredder my first check to the IRS right in front of me telling me his check would get processed quicker than mine, really!! Well you know what hit the fan… He eventually gave me all the paperowrk they did, which I had reviewed again, then sent a check to the IRS myself.
Thank God he was unsuccessfull at suicide, but God will not forget, there is always justice in the end, the very end.