Jay Scott Soderling, Tax Evasion and Conspiracy, California 2016

San Francisco, CA - A Santa Rosa man has been sentenced to 36 months in prison and ordered to pay $345,697 in restitution after being found guilty of tax evasion and conspiracy to defraud the United States.

Jay Scott Soderling, 36, was convicted by a federal jury in December 2015 for his role in concealing assets from the IRS to avoid payment of his tax liabilities. Soderling and his wife, Jessica Lynn Soderling, were charged with conspiracy to defraud the United States, as well as tax evasion.

The evidence presented at trial showed that Soderling and his wife worked together to conceal assets from the IRS, including moving money into a bank account opened in Jessica Soderling's name. Soderling was also found to have willfully evaded payment of taxes he owed to the United States, despite making written and oral statements to IRS employees that he had no significant assets or income.

In reality, Soderling was about to receive a significant financial windfall from several real-estate transactions, but he failed to disclose his use of corporate funds to purchase a Dodge Viper, a new boat, and other personal items.

The sentence was handed down by the Honorable Vince Chhabria, U.S. District Judge. In addition to the prison term, Judge Chhabria also sentenced Soderling to three-year periods of supervised release. His wife, Jessica Soderling, was sentenced to a three-year term of probation and ordered to pay $153,242 in restitution in April 2016.

Assistant United States Attorneys Michael G. Pitman and Jose A. Olivera prosecuted the case, which was the result of an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation.

The case against Soderling highlights the importance of tax compliance and the consequences of evading taxes. The IRS urges taxpayers to report any suspicious activity or tax evasion.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndca/pr/santa-rosa-man-sentenced-tax-evasion-and-conspiracy-defraud-united-states