The owner of two autobody shops in Massachusetts has been arrested and charged with fraud after filing false tax statements with the IRS. From 2015 to 2017, the man under-reported the amount of cash that he paid his employees. He filed false tax returns and kept nearly $300,000 that he would have paid in taxes. In 2020, he was caught by authorities and plead guilty to the crime.
He was also accused of fraud back in 2019, when he was caught damaging the cars in his shop with hammers and wood. He then used the damaged cars to file false insurance claims. The man plead not guilty to the case, which has yet to be resolved.
If convicted of the most recent charges, the man faces up to three years in prison. His sentencing is currently scheduled for January 2021.
How should an individual proceed after being accused of fraud?
Business owners can be accused of a wide range of white collar crimes, including embezzlement, bank fraud, tax evasion, computer fraud, insurance fraud, money laundering, identity theft, credit card fraud and racketeering. Fraud charges can to ruin a business owner’s reputation and sink their entire company.
If a business owner faces accusations of fraud, they might wish to hire an attorney to represent them in court. An attorney might be able to provide guidance throughout the process to keep their client from accidentally incriminating themselves. The attorney might also be able to help their client build a strong case to prove their innocence or reduce the severity of the charges. Working with an attorney, a client might be able to negotiate for reduced fees or a shorter jail sentence. If the attorney helps the client win the case, they might be able to get back on their feet and resume their normal life again.
