Thomas DeFelice, Tax Evasion, Iowa 2015
A New Hampshire man has been sentenced to a year in federal prison for filing false tax returns in connection to a fraud against a Dubuque college bookstore.
Thomas DeFelice, age 37, was sentenced to 12 months in prison in federal court in Cedar Rapids. His case was connected to that of James Spaulding, age 35, from Longmont, Colorado, who was previously convicted of one count of mail fraud and two counts of filing false tax returns, and sentenced to 57 months in federal prison.
DeFelice admitted to conspiring with Spaulding to create a fictitious corporation called RVP Wholesale Books, which issued false invoices to Clarke University, claiming to have supplied the bookstore with books. In truth, RVP never supplied any books. Spaulding and DeFelice split the proceeds of the fraud, totaling more than $302,000.00.
As part of their scheme, DeFelice falsely inflated the cost of goods sold to decrease RVP's and their personal tax liabilities. They filed false tax returns for 2011 and 2012, failing to disclose the illegal proceeds obtained from the fraud.
Spaulding later lied to a federal grand jury in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, by falsely claiming RVP supplied the Clarke University bookstore with books.
DeFelice was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge Linda R. Reade. He was sentenced to 12 months' imprisonment, with a special assessment of $100 imposed, and was ordered to pay all taxes and penalties owed in connection with the false tax returns. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term.
The cases were prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney C.J. Williams and were investigated by the Dubuque Police Department and the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Division.
Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Key Facts
- State: Iowa
- Category: White Collar Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
ðŸâ€Â’ Get the grimiest stories delivered weekly. Subscribe free →