F. William Messier, Tax Evasion, Maine 2014

Two Brunswick men, F. William Messier and David E. Robinson, have been charged with federal tax crimes in a shocking indictment.

Messier, 70, and Robinson, 75, were charged with conspiracy to defraud the United States by impeding and impairing the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), according to a court document.

Messier was also charged with failure to file income tax returns for the years 2008 through 2012, and corruptly endeavoring to impede the IRS.

According to the indictment, Messier has not filed a federal income tax return since 1997.

The IRS assessed taxes, interest and penalties against Messier totaling $172,000 for the years 2000 to 2004.

In addition, from 2006 to 2012, Messier earned more than $390,000 in gross income from renting antenna space on radio communication towers that Messier owned and by renting access to his property to customers who constructed their own communications towers or located electronic equipment on the property.

The indictment alleges that after the IRS sent Notices of Levy to Messier's customers, Robinson and Messier took a number of steps beginning in 2012 to obstruct and impede the IRS, including presenting the IRS with a fake and worthless money order for the amount due by Messier, and sending threatening and harassing documents to Messier's customers urging them not to cooperate with the IRS.

Messier faces up to 13 years in prison and fines totaling $1,000,000 if convicted on all counts.

Robinson faces up to 5 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.

The defendants are scheduled to appear in U.S. District Court in Portland on September 5, 2014 at 9:00 and 9:30 a.m.

An indictment is merely an accusation and a defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-me/pr/brunswick-men-indicted-federal-tax-charges