Richard Cooper, 71, Pleads Guilty to Tax Evasion in Massachusetts

BOSTON – In a shocking turn of events, Richard Cooper, the 71-year-old owner of Rick Cooper Paving, a paving company north of Boston, has pleaded guilty to a multi-year income tax evasion scheme.

According to court documents, Cooper deposited customer payments to his company, but also cashed over $4.3 million in customer checks from 2017 to 2020. When Cooper had his taxes prepared, he did not disclose the cashed checks, resulting in his tax returns underreporting the gross receipts of the business by millions.

This egregious act of tax evasion enabled Cooper to keep over $1 million that he should have paid in federal and state income taxes. The U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper has scheduled Cooper’s sentencing for January 30, 2024.

Cooper was charged in September 2024, following an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Boston Field Office. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Harry Chavis, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of the IRS-CI, made the announcement today.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Kriss Basil, Deputy Chief of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit, prosecuted the case. The guilty plea is a significant blow to Cooper’s reputation and highlights the importance of tax compliance in our society.

The investigation into Cooper’s tax evasion scheme serves as a reminder that tax evasion is a serious crime that can have severe consequences. We urge all individuals to take their tax obligations seriously and to report any suspicious activity to the authorities.

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