Dog Broker Sentenced to Prison for $1M Tax Scam

Grimy Times has learned that Justin Daniels, a 48-year-old dog broker from Marietta, Georgia, was sentenced to 14 months in federal prison for filing false tax returns.

According to the Department of Justice, Daniels underreported over $1 million in income between 2015 and 2018. The income came from his lucrative dog-brokering business, which sold high-priced Yorkie, Morkie, and Shi-Tzu puppies to customers.

Despite bringing in over $2.3 million in income during the four-year period, Daniels submitted false information on his tax returns, claiming he made just $1.186 million. This resulted in an additional tax due of $258,265.

‘Rather than pay his fair share of taxes, Daniels spent years submitting fraudulent returns in the name of personal greed,’ said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. ‘This office will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to pursue and prosecute those who exploit our tax system at the expense of law-abiding taxpayers.’

Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the IRS Criminal Investigation, Lisa Fontanette, added that the sentence handed down to Daniels serves as an example of what can happen to those who willfully fail to report all their income.

As part of his sentence, Daniels will serve one year, two months in prison followed by one year of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $258,265.

The case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David A. O’Neal and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Krepp.

Contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office for further information at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6016. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is located at http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.