Manhattan art gallery owner Mary Boone, 67, pleaded guilty in Manhattan Federal Court to filing false tax returns claiming $1.6 million in personal expenses as business deductions in 2011.
According to the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Geoffrey S. Berman, Boone cheated the U.S. tax system by lying about her expenses and playing a shell game with bank accounts to hide her true assets.
Berman stated, “While tax evasion may seem like a victimless crime, it isn’t; all Americans must pay their taxes. And as Boone has learned, tax laws are not abstract.”
IRS-CI Special Agent-in-Charge James D. Robnett added, “Operating a Manhattan art gallery did not entitle Mary Boone to evade paying her taxes. It is a felony offense that carries severe consequences. By falsely claiming millions of dollars of personal expenses as business expenses, Ms. Boone cheated all Americans, since law-abiding citizens are expected to pay their fair share.”
In 2011, Boone caused her accountant to file false and fraudulent federal income tax returns for the Gallery and for Boone individually, reporting a false business loss of approximately $52,521, whereas, in reality, the Gallery made a profit of approximately $3.7 million.
Boone perpetrated this tax fraud in part by using business funds to pay for over $1.6 million in personal expenses and then falsely claiming these personal expenses as business deductions, including $800,000 for remodeling her Manhattan apartment and $120,000 for rent and other expenses for a second Manhattan apartment.
Boone’s guilty plea is the latest example of the Southern District of New York’s commitment to combating tax evasion and ensuring that all Americans pay their fair share of taxes.
Related Federal Cases
- Nassau Woman Nabbed in $25K Tax Check Scam · New York
- Pizza Profits, Shady Returns: Picones Nabbed for Tax Evasion · Maryland
- Tax Refund Scam Lands NY Man, Springfield Relative in Hot Water · Massachusetts
- Mount Vernon Tax Man Gets 51 Months for IRS Scheme · New York
- Queens Art Handler Nabbed in $600K Theft · New York
Key Facts
- State: New York
- Category: White Collar Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
ðŸâ€Â’ Get the grimiest stories delivered weekly. Subscribe free →
MORE FEDERAL CRIME NEWS
White Collar CrimeWhite Collar CrimeWhite Collar CrimeWhite Collar Crime