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Employment Tax Cheat Bites the Dust
A Miami businessman with a penchant for playing fast and loose with the law has finally been brought to justice. Ricardo Betancourt, owner of multiple parcel delivery businesses in South Florida, pleaded guilty to failing to pay over employment taxes to the IRS.
Betancourt’s businesses raked in over $100 million in gross revenues between 2002 and 2017, employing hundreds of workers in the process. But despite collecting millions in payroll taxes from his employees, Betancourt deliberately failed to pay them over to the IRS.
According to court documents, in 2013 and 2014, Betancourt didn’t pay over approximately 97 percent of the federal employment taxes he withheld from his employees. In 2015 and 2016, the scoundrel didn’t pay over any of the federal employment taxes he withheld from his employees. And for the quarter ending December 2016, Betancourt admitted to failing to truthfully account for and pay over payroll taxes of approximately $727,478.
Betancourt faces a statutory maximum sentence of 5 years in prison, as well as a period of supervised release, restitution, and monetary penalties. Sentencing is scheduled for February 12, 2020.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman and U.S. Attorney Ariana Fajardo Orshan commended the special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation for conducting the investigation and Trial Attorney Michael Boteler and Assistant Chief Charles Edgar of the Tax Division for prosecuting the case.
In a statement, Zuckerman and Fajardo Orshan said, ‘We commend the agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation for their tireless efforts in uncovering the truth and bringing Betancourt to justice.’
Key Facts
- State: Florida
- Category: White Collar Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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