Missoula Accountant Sentenced to 2 Years in Prison for Defrauding Medical Marijuana Clients

MISSOULA, MT — A Missoula accountant who defrauded clients by misappropriating over $1.3 million in tax payments was sentenced Thursday to two years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release.

William Arthur Clawson, 54, was also ordered to pay full restitution of $1,309,591 to victims and a $20,000 criminal fine, according to U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme.

Clawson pleaded guilty in February to wire fraud and to corruptly endeavoring to obstruct and impede the administration of internal revenue laws. U.S. District Judge Donald W. Molloy presided over the sentencing.

Scheme Targeted Medical Marijuana Industry

From 2016 to 2021, Clawson operated his businesses, Quantum Business Solutions and Endeavor Financial Insights, to defraud clients primarily in the cash-intensive medical marijuana industry across Montana, Washington and Oklahoma.

According to the government, Clawson promised to assess taxes owed by his clients and receive cash payments that he would use to pay his fees and their taxes. Instead, he paid only a small portion of the taxes owed and used the remainder for personal expenses and unrelated debts.

“Through Clawson’s actions, his clients unknowingly fell behind in paying the taxes they owed,” prosecutors alleged.

Obstruction of IRS Investigation

Between 2019 and 2020, one of Clawson’s clients came under IRS scrutiny because of unpaid taxes. When an IRS revenue officer contacted the company, the client called Clawson for guidance.

Clawson instructed the company not to communicate with the IRS officer and said he would handle the matter. He then made false statements to the revenue officer, claiming the company had cash flow issues that made it difficult to pay taxes.

“Clawson acted corruptly by making other false statements to the IRS officer on the company’s behalf that Clawson knew would impede the government’s tax collection efforts,” prosecutors said. “Clawson did this to conceal his misappropriation of funds the company gave him to pay its taxes.”

Recent Public Statements

Less than a month before his sentencing, Clawson issued a press release from Oklahoma City promoting his business leadership philosophy. The July 2 release, titled “Bill William Clawson Champions Discipline and Planning for Business Success,” described his background and encouraged business leaders to focus on consistency and preparation.

“You don’t always get things right, but if people can trust your word and see that you’re in it for the right reasons, that makes a big difference,” Clawson was quoted as saying in the release.

The press release highlighted his past leadership roles, stating his “leadership extended beyond his own business—serving as President of the Missoula Building Industry Association and Chairman of the Timber Products Manufacturers Trust.”

Investigation and Prosecution

Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Hargrove prosecuted the case, while the IRS Criminal Investigation Division conducted the investigation.

The case highlights the vulnerability of cash-intensive businesses in emerging industries like medical marijuana, where clients may have limited oversight of their tax obligations and rely heavily on professional services to navigate complex regulatory requirements.