PARMA, OH – A Parma couple is facing federal charges for allegedly running a sophisticated tax evasion scheme that exploited vulnerable hotel workers, according to a criminal information filed in federal court. Steven Caldwell, 55, and Gayane Lashina, 51, are accused of conspiring to defraud the United States by falsely classifying employees as independent contractors to avoid paying employment taxes.
Acting U.S. Attorney David A. Sierleja announced the charges, detailing how the pair allegedly facilitated a system where individuals hired to clean hotels and motels were denied basic employee protections and tax withholdings. The scheme revolved around several corporations – Evrica Inter Services Inc., Evrica International LLC, Antelope’s Services LLC, and Zeromax LLC – controlled by an individual identified in court documents as T.P.
Caldwell, identified as the incorporator of Evrica International and Antelope’s Services, allegedly worked with T.P. and Lashina to require employees, many of whom were immigrants from Africa or Eastern Europe, to sign independent contractor agreements. These agreements deceptively shifted the responsibility for all federal, state, and local taxes onto the workers themselves, while T.P. maintained complete control over their work – assigning locations, providing training, setting schedules, and essentially acting as a traditional employer.
The government alleges that T.P. deliberately misclassified these workers to dodge payroll taxes. Caldwell and Lashina further compounded the crime by allegedly making false statements to law enforcement about T.P.’s ownership and control of the companies, actively working to conceal his involvement. They served as a smokescreen, obscuring the true ownership structure of the businesses involved in the scheme.
The investigation, a joint effort by the U.S. Department of Labor and the Internal Revenue Service, is ongoing, signaling the potential for further charges or revelations. Both Caldwell and Lashina are charged with one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States. If convicted, their sentencing will be determined by the court, considering factors like prior criminal history and their individual roles in the offense. However, the government stresses that any sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Carmen Henderson is prosecuting the case. It’s crucial to remember that a criminal information is merely an accusation, and Caldwell and Lashina are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The Grimy Times will continue to follow this case and report on any developments as they occur.
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Key Facts
- State: Ohio
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: White Collar Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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