CHICAGO — A former Chicago attorney, Michael Abramson, 76, of Wilmette, Ill., has been sentenced to 30 months in federal prison for his involvement in a complex tax fraud scheme and attempted witness tampering.
Abramson, who held an ownership interest in a company, was convicted on all 15 charges related to tax fraud, attempting to tamper with a witness, and violating a court order. The case has exposed the extent of his financial misconduct, which involved more than $1 million in personal expenses.
According to court documents, Abramson provided over $1 million for personal expenditures to a woman he was romantically involved with, including payments towards a Chicago Gold Coast condo, luxury cars, and various shopping, dining, and travel expenses. He then deducted these payments on his individual taxes by falsely labeling them as commissions or loans, and listed the fraudulent loans as an asset in corporate tax returns.
Furthermore, Abramson violated a court order by attempting to influence a key witness, his bookkeeper, who was expected to provide crucial evidence against him. Just weeks before trial, he provided her with doctored testimony and instructed her not to bring it to any meetings with law enforcement. Nevertheless, the bookkeeper handed over the altered transcript to authorities.
Judge Manish S. Shah of U.S. District Court in Chicago announced the sentence on Tuesday, imposing a fine of $25,000 on top of the prison term. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Richard M. Rothblatt and Edward A. Liva Jr. argued that Abramson, an attorney with expertise in business, tax, and finance, knew better than to seek profit from his own deceit.
The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Jason Bushey of IRS Criminal Investigation, and Douglas S. DePodesta of the FBI’s Chicago Field Office. “Abramson’s actions demonstrated a clear intent to defraud the IRS, obstruct justice, and tamper with witnesses,” they stated.
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Key Facts
- State: Illinois
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes|Public Corruption|White Collar Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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