Reality television personality Michael “The
Situation” Sorrentino and his brother, Marc Sorrentino, pleaded guilty today to
violating federal tax laws, announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman
of the Justice Department’s Tax Division, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito for the
District of New Jersey and
Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS CI) Special Agent in
Charge Jonathan D. Larsen.
According to documents and information
provided to the court, Michael Sorrentino, 36, pleaded guilty to one count of
tax evasion and Marc Sorrentino, 38, pleaded guilty to one count of aiding in
the preparation of a fraudulent tax return.
“Today’s pleas are a reminder to all
individuals to comply with the tax laws, file honest and accurate returns and
pay their fair share,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General
Zuckerman. “The Tax Division is committed to continuing to work with the IRS to
prosecute those who seek to cheat the system, while honest hardworking
taxpayers play by the rules.”
“What the defendants admitted to today,
quite simply, is tantamount to stealing money from their fellow taxpayers,”
said U.S. Attorney Carpenito. “All of us are required by law to pay our fair
share of taxes. Celebrity status does not provide a free pass from this
obligation.”
“As
we approach this year’s filing season, today’s guilty pleas should serve as a
stark reminder to those who would attempt to defraud our nation’s tax system,”
stated Jonathan D. Larsen, Special Agent in Charge, IRS-Criminal Investigation,
Newark Field Office. “No matter what your stature is in our society,
everyone is expected to play by the rules, and those who do not will be held
accountable and brought to justice.”
Michael
Sorrentino was a reality television personality who gained fame on “The Jersey
Shore,” which first appeared on the MTV network. According to documents
and information provided to the court, he and his brother, Marc, created
businesses, such as MPS Entertainment LLC and Situation Nation Inc., to take
advantage of Michael’s celebrity status.
Michael Sorrentino admitted that in tax
year 2011, he earned taxable income, including some that was paid in cash, and
that he concealed a portion of his income to evade paying the full amount of
taxes he owed. He also made cash deposits into bank accounts in amounts less than $10,000, in an
effort to ensure that these deposits would not come to the attention of the
IRS.
Marc
Sorrentino admitted that for tax year 2010, he earned taxable income and that
he assisted his accountants in preparing his personal tax return by willfully
providing them with false information and fraudulently underreporting his
income.
U.S. District Judge Susan D. Wigenton
scheduled sentencing for April 25. Michael Sorrentino faces a statutory
maximum sentence of five years in prison for tax evasion. Marc Sorrentino faces
a statutory maximum sentence of three years in prison for aiding in the
preparation of a fraudulent tax return. Both also face a period of supervised
release, restitution and monetary penalties. Gregg Mark, the accountant
for the Sorrentino brothers, previously pleaded guilty in 2015 to
conspiring to defraud the United States with respect to their tax
liabilities.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General
Zuckerman and U.S. Attorney Carpenito praised special agents of IRS CI, who
conducted the investigation, and Trial Attorneys Yael T. Epstein and Jeffrey B.
Bender of the Tax Division of the U.S. Department of Justice and Assistant U.S.
Attorney Jonathan W. Romankow, who are prosecuting the case.
Are you
in Trouble with the IRS?
Successful Civil and Criminal Tax Representation Selig & Associates practices before the Internal Revenue
Service (“IRS”) the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance
(“NYSDTF”) the Department of Justice Tax Division (“DOJ”) and the Defense
Office of Hearings and Appeals (“DOHA”). *To schedule a FREE legally
privileged consultation with a licensed Federal Tax Practitioner and Attorney
call Selig & Associates directly (212) 974-3435
Proven
Results Selig
& Associates successfully resolves IRS & NYS tax problems
including: Tax Crimes; Tax Evasion; Failure to File a Tax Return and
Criminal Non-Filing; Filing False Tax
Returns; Installment Agreements; Partial Payment Agreements; IRS
Audits; Sales Tax Audits; Sales Tax Controversies; Wage Garnishments;
Bank Levies; Seizure of Real Property; Innocent Spouse Relief; Trust Fund
Recovery Penalty; Payroll Taxes; Workers Compensation Insurance Audits
("Workers Comp"); Statute of Limitations; Offer in Compromise
("OIC"); Administrative Appeals; Collection Due Process
Hearings ("CDP") and most other tax matters. *To schedule a FREE
legally privileged consultation with a licensed Federal Tax Practitioner and
Attorney call Selig & Associates directly (212) 974-3435
No comments:
Post a Comment