Suburban Man Jailed for Tax Evasion

A 62-year-old Lockport man, PAUL WEST, was sentenced to 37 months in federal prison for failing to report more than $3.1 million in gross receipts and gambling income and failing to pay more than $582,000 in federal income taxes.

West, also known as “Thomas Wilson,” and “Tom Wilson,” was in the business of selling materials for recycling, including scrap cardboard. He under-reported his income from his recycling services and gambling, reporting that he owed little or no taxes in 2007 and 2011.

For six other years between 2004 and 2011, West failed to file any individual income tax returns, despite gross receipts and gambling income over all eight years totaling $3,190,741.

“West’s tax crimes wrongfully undermine our tax system and its fundamental premise of voluntary and truthful compliance,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Kaarina Salovaara argued at the sentencing.

West was ordered to pay $582,934 in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service, the amount of taxes he owed. U.S. District Judge Andrea R. Wood imposed the sentence in Federal Court.

The sentence was announced by Zachary T. Fardon, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and James C. Lee, Special Agent-in-Charge of the IRS Criminal Investigation Division in Chicago.

In addition to criminal penalties, defendants convicted of tax offenses remain responsible for any taxes and interest due, as well as civil penalties of up to 75 percent of the tax owed.

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