Florida CPA Ronald St. Clair Sentenced to 18 Months for Evading Over $2.2 Million in Taxes, Ordered to Pay $2.34 Million
Tampa, Hillsborough County, Florida — Florida Certified Public Accountant Ronald St. Clair was sentenced on October 26 to 18 months in prison for evading the payment of more than $2.2 million in income taxes, the U.S. Department of Justice announced. He was also ordered to pay $2,343,615.01 in restitution, after pleading guilty to one count of tax evasion.
According to court documents and statements made in court, St. Clair attempted to hide his assets from the IRS after accumulating tax debts for 2011 through 2017. In 2020, after the IRS notified him that it intended to levy his assets to collect his unpaid taxes, St. Clair sold real property he owned and transferred the proceeds into a bank account in a third party's name. After transferring these funds out of his own name, St. Clair directed the money for his personal and business use and intentionally failed to disclose these funds and assets while he was seeking a payment plan with the IRS.
At sentencing, the government presented evidence that St. Clair spent years concealing income and assets by hiding his money in bank accounts held in the names of others and hiding his interests in real estate by placing properties in the names of businesses not held in his name. St. Clair layered business entities to conceal his control of funds that he chose not to direct toward taxes he owed.
Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the Justice Department's National Fraud Enforcement Division and U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe for the Middle District of Florida made the announcement. IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case. Assistant Deputy Chief Marissa R. Brodney of the Fraud Division's Tax Section, Trial Attorney Aaron I. Henricks of the Criminal Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jesus M. Casas of the Middle District of Florida prosecuted the case.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 照片：佛罗里达州 Tampa 市中心天际线（经 Wikimedia Commons，资料图）
