Students play special agents

Casey Stoolmaker said she didn’t know what to expect Friday on her
first day as a “special agent” with the Internal Revenue Service.

The Grand Ledge junior put her anxiety aside and volunteered to be
wired with a voice transmitter to go in undercover as “Terry Star” to
gather evidence against an abusive tax preparer.

“I didn’t want to mess it up because you need the evidence,” she
said.

About 60 CMU students served as special agents for a day as a part
of Accounting Professor Thomas Weirich’s ACC 597: Forensic
Accounting/Fraud Investigation class.

Twenty-five agents, both working and retired, from the criminal
investigation division gave students a hands-on experience during seven
simulations of IRS agent activities at Grawn Hall.

The simulations included a drug bust, business owners embezzling
money and an abusive tax return preparer.

Weirich portrayed drug dealer “Roger Pothead” for the drug bust
simulation.

He was arrested by Mount Pleasant Police Department Detective Paul
Lauria and the IRS special agents for delivery of narcotics.

“This isn’t fair,” Weirich said as he was led away handcuffed.

Essexville senior John Blossey was one student that assisted Lauria
in Weirich’s arrest.

“I saw Dr. Weirich with the fake cocaine and then I got excited,” he
said. “I got to lead Dr. Weirich out in handcuffs and I tried to make
it look real.”

Stephen Moore, IRS special agent and the event’s main coordinator,
said simulations such as these give students a real world perspective
on these kinds of cases and what agents actually do.

“This is a real unique look at what an IRS criminal investigator
does,” he said. “They’re going to be able to use the knowledge they’ve
gained through books and apply it to a real life situation.”

Anna Briggs, Bay City senior, said the program provided a good
opportunity to learn more about the IRS.

“It’s a different side of the accounting profession,” she said.
“This was a great opportunity to learn what options are out there.”

Moore said the IRS started doing the program four years ago at
Adrian College. Since then, the program also has grown to Oakland
University, Grand Valley State University, Wayne State University and
CMU.