A former commander of the Idaho American Legion has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Boise on charges of years of tax fraud, and wire fraud totaling at least $1.45 million, Idaho U.S. Attorney Bart Davis announced Monday.
Charles “Abe” Abrahamson, 56, of Venice, Florida, made his initial federal court appearance Monday in southwest Florida after he relocated from Mountain Home. If convicted on the combined charges, he faces up to 23 years in federal prison, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office that details the indictment.
The Idaho American Legion last year accused Abrahamson of embezzling at least $750,000 of its money. The statewide nonprofit, which counts about 100 local chapters with about 8,000 members, primarily provides services to military veterans. An investigation by the Idaho Statesman that included interviews and review of public and nonprofit documents accounted for hundreds of thousands of dollars in allegedly missing funds…