Inside This Issue …
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Former INS Agent Busted for Tax
Evasion
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Texas Physician Pleas Guilty to Tax
Evasion
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Hawaiian Dentist Faces Five Years
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New Jersey Publisher Admits to Tax
Evasion
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Three Alabama Men Sentence for Fraud
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Kansas City Business Owner Admits to
Tax Fraud, Evasion
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Bookstore Owner Gets One Year for
Income Tax Evasion
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Dentist Sentenced To 30 Months for
Evasion
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Gas Station Manager Pleads Guilty to
Income Tax Evasion
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Former INS Agent
Busted for Tax Evasion
 Former
Immigration and Naturalization Service agent Jose A. Castillo, 48, and his
wife, 47-year-old Rosa M. Castillo, were sentenced after the two pleaded
guilty to filing a false tax return for the year 1997.
Jose A. Castillo received 18 months in prison, while his wife received
five years probation.
A federal indictment had charged the Yuma, Ariz., couple with filing a
false individual income tax return and with tampering with a government
witness.
Special agents from the Criminal Investigation Unit of the Internal
Revenue Service investigated the case.
Texas Physician Pleas Guilty to Tax
Evasion
Fort Worth radiologist Victor Eugene McCall, 69, was sentenced to six
months in prison and six months of home confinement after he pleaded
guilty to filing a false federal income tax return for the year 1999 that
understated his income by nearly $800,000.
According to court documents, McCall admitted that part of the omitted
income was received from fraudulently submitted medical claims. In fact,
McCall acknowledge that he knew those funds were obtained illegally and
yet he did not attempt to return the money.
McCall had participated in a scam with a number of other doctors in an
attempt to defraud patients and various insurance companies by submitting
false claims for medical services performed and receiving payment from
these insurers for those services.
Hawaiian Dentist Faces Five Years
Victor H. Zuercher Jr., a 62 year-old dentist practicing in Honolulu,
pleaded guilty to one count of federal income tax evasion. According to
federal authorities, Zuercher’s actions resulted in a total tax loss of
$156,982.
In a written plea agreement and in open court, Zuercher admitted
responsibility for his role in a long-running tax evasion scheme. He
admitted he falsified returns for the years 1985, 1986, 1990, 1993, 1994,
1995, 1996 and 1997.
Zuercher faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine, plus
payment of the costs of prosecution and a three-year term of supervised
release.
Kansas
City Business Owner Admits to Tax Fraud, Evasion
A 29-year-old Kansas City business owner
was sentenced to 21 months in prison for charges of personal and
employment tax fraud.
Dawn Marie Goszewski was president, owner and operator of Culinary
Resources since it began in 1998. Culinary Resources, which had
approximately 1,100 employees, was a temporary staffing company serving
the food and hospitality industry.
Goszewski admitted that on her 2000 corporate tax form she understated
income received from Culinary Resources and overstated federal income
taxes withheld, fraudulently inflating her refund. Goszewski reported only
$250,189 in income, failing to report an additional $335,136.
Additionally, Goszewski admitted that she falsely claimed $97,917 was
withheld from her personal wages, resulting in a fraudulent refund of
$20,959.
As a result, Goszewski evaded $281,584 in income taxes. Additionally, she
did not turn over to the federal government $279,027.71 she collected from
her employees for Social Security taxes, Medicare taxes and federal income
taxes.
IRS
Question Corner …
Question: After having my taxes done by a professional
accountant, I learned that I had drastically underestimated by taxes due
over the last three years — to the tune of $129,000. My daughter just
entered Northwestern this year. My son is set to go to college next year.
I can’t afford to pay that much with one check. What can I do? I don’t
want to pull my daughter out of school.
Answer: As bad a rap as IRS agents get, I’ve never heard of any
forcing parents to take children out of school. They’re public servants,
not heartless monsters, so relax.
Your situation is, in fact, common. Many American taxpayers, through
either error or neglect, underestimate their taxes due over a period of
years until it finally hits them: They owe a nice chunk of change.
It sounds like you are in a position to make good on your debt. Believe
me, that’s a positive thing. I’d advise you to contact a qualified tax
professional right now. He or she can examine your last three tax filings
to make sure your previous accountant hadn’t made an error. Once your
exact amount due is figured, you and your tax professional can discuss an
installment plan with the IRS. This works very much like a mortgage or car
loan — a set monthly payment that will gradually reduce debt without
forcing you to change your life, specifically, allowing you to keep
sending your daughter to Northwestern.
If for some reason you are and will continue to be unable to pay the
$129,000, you may be eligible for an Offer in Compromise. This is exactly
what it sounds like. You make an offer to the IRS for the amount of money
you can pay, and often the agents will accept it. Believe it or not, this
can reduce your tax debt by pennies on the dollar. You should ask your tax
professional about this to see if you qualify.
I encourage you to give me a call. I’m a qualified tax professional with
years of experience dealing with problems such as yours. For a free,
no-risk consultation, please call my office at 410-727-6006.
Thank You! Thank You!
Thanks to YOU, the word is spreading. Thanks to my clients and
friends who graciously referred me to their friends, clients and
relatives last month! I enjoy building my business based on the
positive comments and referrals from people just like you.
I just couldn’t do it without you! |
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NEW JERSEY PUBLISHER ADMITS TO TAX EVASION
The 62-year-old publisher of the Hudson County, N.J., Spanish-language
newspaper Avance has pleaded guilty to tax evasion.
Rene Avila admitted that he evaded taxes on approximately $59,000 of
income from Avance by failing to report the income on his 1998 federal
income tax return. Avila had concealed income by cashing business receipts
at a check-cashing establishment instead of depositing the funds into the
newspaper’s business accounts.
As part of the plea agreement, Avila agreed to file amended tax returns
for tax years 1994 to 1999 and pay any back taxes.
He faces up to five years in prison and a $100,000 fine.
THREE ALABAMA MEN SENTENCED FOR FRAUD
Three Huntsville, Ala., men have been sentenced for filing false
claims for tax refunds and making false, fictitious or fraudulent claims
for tax refunds, causing about $60,000 in false claims.
Herman Grady Harris, 39, received 41 months in prison. Alphonso Falnal
Keith received 21 months in prison. Jeffery Wayne McCauley received 26
months in prison and was ordered to pay $11,084. Special agents from IRS
Criminal Investigations handled the case.
BOOKSTORE OWNER GETS ONE YEAR FOR
INCOME TAX EVASION
Ken Appel, the owner of KB Books, a college bookstore with locations
at San Diego State University, Mesa College and City College, was
sentenced to one year and a day in prison after pleading guilty to filing
a false individual tax return for the year 1998.
According to court records, Ken Appel also filed false returns for the
years 1996, 1997, 1999 and 2000. Appel admitted his conduct resulted in
his failing to pay over $324,000 in federal income taxes.
According to his plea agreement, Appel has paid back over $324,000 of his
admitted $1.2 million outstanding tax debt.
DENTIST SENTENCED TO 30 MONTHS FOR
EVASION
Jon C. Pensyl, a dentist and former resident of Worthington, Ohio, was
sentenced to 30 months in prison on three counts of tax evasion. Pensyl
was also ordered to serve three years of supervised release and pay
$300,000 in restitution.
A jury found Pensyl guilty of three counts of tax evasion for the years
1995, 1996 and 1997.
Evidence showed that Pensyl had evaded taxation on more than $750,000 in
income from his dental practice, rental properties and other business
ventures.
GAS STATION MANAGER PLEADS GUILTY TO
INCOME TAX EVASION
Michael A. Carocari, a 42-year-old from North Haven, Ct., pleaded guilty
to filing a false income tax return. Carocari admitted that from 1994 to
1998 he was employed as a store manager of gasoline & convenience stores
and that he received a substantial portion of his wages in cash. He did
not report those cash wages. He faces up to three years in prison and a
fine of up to $250,000.
Thanks for the Kind Words…
“You and your staff worked very hard in helping me settle my case with the
IRS. Your professionalism, courtesy, friendliness and hard work certainly
made me a believer in your outstanding reputation as one of the best
lawyers I ever dealt with! I thank you again. I once again highly
recommend you and your firm to anyone in need of help in that field.”
- L. East
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