Drywall CFO Admits to $120K Tax Fraud

COLUMBUS, OH – Shannon C. Boston, 44, of Sunbury, Ohio, has confessed to fleecing the federal government out of $120,406 in unpaid employment taxes. The former Chief Financial Officer of Porter Drywall, Inc. pleaded guilty in U.S. District court today to one count of failing to account for and pay over taxes owed to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

According to court documents, Boston, while at the helm of Porter Drywall’s finances in 2013, submitted quarterly income tax returns… but conveniently forgot to actually *pay* the money. The $120,406 represents withheld federal income tax and Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA) – Social Security and Medicare – for the company’s workers. It’s a simple scheme: collect the money from employees, pocket it, and leave the IRS holding the bag.

But Boston isn’t the only one in the hot seat. Robert Porter, 52, of Westerville, Ohio, and the Vice President of Porter Drywall, is facing a federal indictment handed down June 14th. Porter is accused of five counts of willfully filing false income tax returns and one count of making a false statement. The feds allege Porter omitted $236,064 in income across tax years 2009-2013.

The investigation goes deeper than just income tax evasion. The indictment further claims that between June and December 2011, Porter, while working as a contractor on a Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) project, filed 29 bogus U.S. Department of Labor Forms – a clear attempt to cover his tracks and defraud the government. This isn’t just about unpaid taxes; it’s about a pattern of deception.

“IRS Criminal Investigation realizes the detrimental consequences of employment tax evasion,” stated Kathy A. Enstrom, Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Cincinnati Field Office. “It results in the loss of tax revenue to the United States government and the loss of future social security or Medicare benefits for the employees.” It’s a statement that rings hollow for the workers who were shortchanged by this blatant disregard for the law.

Boston now faces a potential five-year prison sentence and a fine of up to $250,000. U.S. Attorney Benjamin C. Glassman commended the collaborative effort of the IRS, U.S. Department of Labor, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel A. Brown is prosecuting the case. Expect more shoes to drop as the investigation into Porter Drywall continues. This is another example of how greed and dishonesty can bring down a business and ruin lives.