Green Power CEO pleads innocent to tax evasion

Green Power CEO and founder Michael Spitzauer pleaded innocent Wednesday to tax evasion. The case has been reassigned to U.S. District Court Judge Sal Mendoza Jr., who was recently appointed to the federal bench. A trial has been tentatively scheduled for this fall. In all, Spitzauer of Kennewick has been indicted on 30 charges, including 16 counts of wire fraud, six counts of money laundering, three counts of bank fraud, two each of aggravated identity theft and for filing a false tax return and the new charge of tax evasion. Spitzauer is accused of defrauding seven alleged victims of up to $7.6 million. A number of the allegations stem from his business dealings with Green Power, a troubled Pasco biofuels company with a plant formerly under construction at the Port of Pasco. Spitzauer remains in federal custody.