Walter Rodriguez, Employment Tax Fraud, New Hampshire 2024

A New Hampshire man has been sentenced to 18 months in prison for his role in facilitating employment tax fraud, netting his accomplices a whopping $1.7 million in unreported wages.

Walter Rodriguez, of Manchester, aided and abetted several drywall companies that were evading the payment of employment taxes from 2011 to 2013, according to court documents.

The 33-year-old Rodriguez found workers for the companies for construction jobs. The companies then issued checks in the names of fictitious or fraudulent identities and provided those checks to Rodriguez, who converted the checks to cash at local check-cashing businesses and paid the workers off-the-books.

In total, Rodriguez enabled the payment of $1.7 million in unreported wages, causing a tax loss of $416,000.

In addition to the term of imprisonment, U.S. District Judge Steven J. McAuliffe ordered Rodriguez to serve one year of supervised release and to pay approximately $416,163 in restitution to the United States.

Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg and Acting U.S. Attorney John J. Farley for the District of New Hampshire made the announcement.

IRS-Criminal Investigation investigated the case, while Trial Attorney Brittney Campbell of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth Aframe of the District of New Hampshire prosecuted the case.

The case serves as a stark reminder of the consequences of tax evasion and the importance of reporting income accurately.

As a result of Rodriguez’s actions, the United States has been denied $416,000 in tax revenue.

Rodriguez’s sentencing is a victory for the IRS and the Justice Department, who worked tirelessly to bring the case to justice.

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