IRS agent Roger Anthony Coombs indicted on bribery charges
If you're going to shake down a business owner for a bribe, best make sure there aren't a bunch of federal agents watching him hand you the cash. 
Photo: Banspy
IRS agent Roger Anthony Coombs apparently wasn't that careful, though.
Now, the Circle Pines man has been indicted in U.S. District Court on charges that he solicited and received a bribe of $9,700 from the coowners of a Minnesota business.
According to the indictment, Coombs told two owners in May that they owed the IRS about $60,000. He said he could make the situation more "manageable" to the tune of $11,000 if they paid him the $9,700.
Because of his concerns about Coombs's alleged proposal, one of the business owners secretly recorded the subsequent meeting, on May 8, during which Coombs reportedly said he would be willing to lie about certain aspects of the audit in exchange for money. Another meeting was then scheduled, when Coombs allegedly was to receive partial payment of that bribe.
They also went to the cops. As a result, the May 19, 2010, meeting between one of the business owners and Coombs was observed by law enforcement agents. They watched as one of the business owners handed Coombs $3,000. They also were in the room a month later when Coombs took a second payment of $6,700.
The FBI says Coombs was arrested without incident.
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