According to a Department of Justice press release, an Ohio man was recently sentenced to serve over seven years in federal prison after pleading guilty to tax crimes, money laundering, and gambling offenses. This story serves as an update to reporting that we brought you earlier this year. As with all of our blog posts, the consequences experienced by the defendant in this case should serve as a warning to those who are out of tax compliance. If you have failed to file a tax return for one or more years, or have knowingly underreported income, you should consult with an experienced tax lawyer as soon as possible to determine the best route to get back into federal and state income tax compliance.
Defendant Operated Various Illegal Gambling Businesses, Concealed Income from IRS
As you may recall from our previous reporting, Steven Saris, pleaded guilty to tax evasion, operating illegal gambling businesses, and money laundering. From 2009 to 2022, Saris owned multiple illegal gambling businesses in Northeast Ohio and other locations, concealing his involvement by using nominee owners. He failed to report over $8.5 million in income and caused a tax loss of over $2.8 million to the IRS. Saris also made false statements to law enforcement and continued illegal operations.
In addition to being sentenced to federal prison, Saris was ordered to serve three years of supervised release, commencing upon his release from physical custody. Lastly, Saris was ordered to pay over $2.8m in restitution to the IRS, representing the amount of tax loss that he caused the federal government.
Seeking the Assistance of Seasoned Tax Counsel When You’ve Fallen Behind
The defendant in the instant case now undoubtedly understands the repercussions that are associated with willfully violating federal income tax laws. But for others who are in a position similar to the defendant, there is still time to rectify your situation. If you have fallen behind on your business or individual tax filings, or have filed a tax return that you know to be false, it is in your best interest to contact an experienced tax defense attorney as soon as possible to begin the process of bringing you back into compliance. Together, you will work to establish the pertinent facts of your case and develop a plan to get right with the government.
If you have failed to file a tax return for one or more years or have taken a position on a tax return that could not be supported upon an IRS or state tax authority audit, eggshell audit, reverse eggshell audit, or criminal tax investigation, it is in your best interest to contact an experienced tax defense attorney to determine your best route back into federal or state tax compliance without facing criminal prosecution.
Note: As long as a taxpayer that has willfully committed tax crimes (potentially including non-filed foreign information returns coupled with affirmative evasion of U.S. income tax on offshore income) self-reports the tax fraud (including a pattern of non-filed returns) through a domestic or offshore voluntary disclosure before the IRS has started an audit or criminal tax investigation / prosecution, the taxpayer can ordinarily be successfully brought back into tax compliance and receive a nearly guaranteed pass on criminal tax prosecution and simultaneously often receive a break on the civil penalties that would otherwise apply.
It is imperative that you hire an experienced and reputable criminal tax defense attorney to take you through the voluntary disclosure process. Only an Attorney has the Attorney Client Privilege and Work Product Privileges that will prevent the very professional that you hire from being potentially being forced to become a witness against you, especially where they prepared the returns that need to be amended, in a subsequent criminal tax audit, investigation or prosecution.
Moreover, only an Attorney can enter you into a voluntary disclosure without engaging in the unauthorized practice of law (a crime in itself). Only an Attorney trained in Criminal Tax Defense fully understands the risks and rewards involved in voluntary disclosures and how to protect you if you do not qualify for a voluntary disclosure.
As uniquely qualified and extensively experienced Criminal Tax Defense Tax Attorneys, Kovel CPAs and EAs, our firm provides a one stop shop to efficiently achieve the optimal and predictable results that simultaneously protect your liberty and your net worth. See our Testimonials to see what our clients have to say about us!
