Grimy Times has learned that Joseth ‘Joe’ Limon, a Texas man, pleaded guilty to employment tax crimes in the Southern District of Texas. Limon, of Harris County, owned and operated Platinum Employment Group Inc., a company that supplied laborers to businesses in the Houston area.
According to court documents and statements made in court, from 2013 through 2018, Platinum did not file employment-tax returns and did not pay more than $8.8 million in employment taxes. The timely payment of these taxes is critical to the functioning of the U.S. government, as they are the primary source of funding for Social Security and Medicare.
Limon set up another labor-staffing company, Rockwell Staffing LLC, in the name of his then 18-year-old daughter. When he later found out that the IRS was attempting to collect Rockwell’s unpaid employment taxes, he caused his daughter to submit an affidavit to the IRS that falsely claimed that Rockwell had been a victim of identity theft and had no employment tax liability.
Limon is scheduled to be sentenced on August 6, 2023, and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison as well as a period of supervised release, restitution, and monetary penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The investigation into this case was conducted by the IRS Criminal Investigation. Trial Attorney Curtis Weidler of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Shirin Hakimzadeh for the Southern District of Texas are prosecuting the case.
Limon’s crimes have far-reaching consequences, as the timely payment of employment taxes is critical to the functioning of the U.S. government. The primary source of funding for Social Security and Medicare, employment taxes also account for a significant portion of all federal income taxes collected each year.
Related Federal Cases
Key Facts
- State: Texas
- Category: White Collar Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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