Orlando, Florida – A Lake County man has been sentenced to 30 months in federal prison for tax evasion, totaling $1,112,651 in tax loss. Douglas V. Oakes, 62, pleaded guilty on November 18, 2020, to evading and defeating the payment of federal income taxes for tax years 2002 to 2005.
According to court documents, Oakes submitted a signed statement to the IRS in which he represented that he was not employed or self-employed, earned no income, and did not have a financial interest in any business entities. However, at that time, Oakes was working for Dealerindustry.com, LLC "DI" d/b/a Automotive Capital Corporation, a company in which he had a significant financial interest and from which he was earning approximately $400,000 per year.
Oakes registered his daughters as DI’s managing members with the Florida Department of State, removed his name from DI’s website and bank account, and removed his profile from the website LinkedIn. He also submitted a sham rent agreement to the IRS representing that he and his wife were renting their 4,321 sq. ft. lakefront home in Orlando from DI for $1 per month.
In November 2015, Oakes further attempted to conceal his assets from the IRS by purchasing a new beachfront home in Merritt Island for $1 million in the name of a nominee. The total tax loss to the United States in this case was $1,112,651.
"We teach our kids that lying is often what gets them in the most trouble. That does not change when we become adults," stated Special Agent in Charge Brian Payne of IRS Criminal Investigation. "Mr. Oakes broke the law when he failed to uphold his duty to pay an honest tax, but then he made his situation worse by spinning a tangled web of lies. IRS Special Agents take great pride in persistently uncovering the truth, and that’s what they did in this case."
The case was investigated by Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Chauncey A. Bratt and Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer M. Harrington.
Defendant: Douglas V. Oakes
Criminal Charges: Tax Evasion
City and State: Orlando, Florida
Date: November 18, 2020
Sentence: 30 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release
Tax Loss: $1,112,651
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Key Facts
- State: Florida
- Category: White Collar Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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