Published on: January 26, 2026, at 12:12h.

Updated on: January 26, 2026, at 12:12h.

• Accountant Dennis Maxey Receives 15-Year Prison Sentence for Fraudulent Activities
  
• Authorities Claim Embezzled Funds Sustained a Long-Lasting Florida Lottery Scratch-Off Habit
  
• Clients Reported Instances of Fabricated IRS Payments and False Loan Promises

A 79-year-old accountant from Florida, Dennis Maxey, has been sentenced to 15 years behind bars after admitting to embezzling nearly $600,000 from friends and clients to fund his addiction to lottery scratch-off tickets, according to The Tampa Bay Times.

Dennis Maxey pled guilty in December to six felonies concerning a scheme to defraud. A judge in Pinellas County sentenced him after evaluating evidence revealing that his prolonged dishonesty financed a decade of dependence on Florida Lottery scratch-off tickets, which he purchased almost daily from the same Publix store.

Authorities stated that Maxey operated his accounting firm, DWM General Accounting, from his residence in Largo, where he received checks and cash from clients, promising to remit their tax payments to the IRS.

However, those payments were never made, prosecutors claimed. Clients seeking clarification about the missing submissions were met with excuses or were asked for more money due to accruing late fees.

$200K Annual Scratch-Off Addiction

From 2015 to 2024, Maxey’s financial records indicated he made ATM withdrawals amounting to thousands weekly. A clerk at the Publix lottery outlet testified that she recognized him visiting almost daily for around ten years, spending approximately $500 to $600 on each visit. Investigators estimated that Maxey’s annual gambling habit on scratch-off tickets approached $200,000.

Many lives were devastated due to scratch-off tickets,” one victim recounted in court.

One victim, Kirit Patel, a local convenience store owner, had established a rapport with Maxey through his frequent purchases of lottery ticket books. When Maxey later offered to manage Patel’s taxes, he ended up pilfering thousands from him between 2014 and 2018, as revealed in court documentation.

Another victim, Gary Prescott, testified that Maxey took advantage of his trust through their church relations. Prescott mentioned that Maxey promised to fix tax complications and secure an emergency loan from the Small Business Administration for his struggling real estate venture, ultimately stealing $26,000 instead.

After referring Maxey to other business owners, including Shaun Carcary, it was discovered that Maxey had fabricated information regarding a $250,000 loan approval. When Carcary contacted the bank and IRS, neither had any record of such applications or payments. A $10,000 “refund” sent by Maxey was traced back to funds he had misappropriated from another victim.

Continued Criminal Activity While on Bail

Prosecutors pointed out that Maxey engaged in further fraudulent activities while released on bond following his arrest for similar offenses in 2019. Assistant State Attorney Rene Bauer advocated for an 18-year sentence, highlighting Maxey’s extensive criminal past that includes numerous theft and fraud convictions going back to the 1980s.

Defense attorneys argued for probation due to Maxey’s age. His spouse informed the court about his gambling addiction, mentioning that they had taken out a reverse mortgage to cover restitution obligations.

The judge denied the plea for leniency, imposing a 15-year prison sentence, while also mandating restitution be paid to all victims involved.