David Migliore, Tax Evasion, New Jersey 2023

Taxman Turns to Jailbird: New Jersey Casino Owner Sentenced to Prison

In a case that highlights the lengths to which individuals will go to avoid paying their fair share, a New Jersey businessman has been sentenced to prison for evading taxes on income from his ownership of a casino in Trinidad, Trinidad and Tobago.

David Migliore, 51, of Brielle, New Jersey, was sentenced to 46 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Mary L. Cooper, who also imposed three years of supervised release. Migliore pleaded guilty to one count of tax evasion with respect to his 2011 personal tax return, admitting to using unreported bank accounts in Trinidad to deposit personal income, using U.S. bank accounts in the names of his New Jersey business entities to receive income from Island Club Casino and to using those business entities to pay for personal expenses.

According to the documents filed in this case and statements made in court, from 2009 to 2011, Migliore earned millions of dollars from Island Club Casino, resulting in $1,286,657 in taxes due. However, Migliore took steps to conceal his income and assets from the IRS, including transferring income from Island Club Casino directly to vendors in the U.S. for personal expenses and directing Island Club Casino employees to send his income through Western Union to individuals in New Jersey who collected the cash on his behalf.

In addition to the prison term, Migliore was ordered to pay restitution of $1,286,657 to the IRS, bringing to a close a case that highlights the importance of tax compliance and the consequences of tax evasion.

The investigation was conducted by the IRS-Criminal Investigation, the FBI, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office, with international assistance from the Financial Intelligence Unit for Trinidad and Tobago.

Migliore’s defense counsel, Robert Weir Esq., had no comment on the sentencing.

U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman credited the special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, the FBI, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office, the Wall Township Police Department, and the international assistance from the Financial Intelligence Unit for Trinidad and Tobago with the investigation.

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