A Pennsylvania man has been sentenced to prison for tax evasion, announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division. William Rains, a resident of Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 18 months in prison for failing to timely file his individual income tax returns and filing false returns.
According to evidence presented in open court, Rains failed to timely file his individual income tax returns for tax years 1997, 1999, and 2003-2006. Rains also filed false returns for 2000 and 2001, reporting zero income when he in fact he had earned income in those years. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) assessed over $200,000 in taxes against Rains for all of these years, as well as for tax year 2008.
From July 2005 through December 2016, Rains evaded the payment of his taxes and sought to thwart IRS collection efforts. He concealed his income and assets from the IRS by using multiple bank accounts, entities, a nominee, and a false IRS financial form. He also caused his wife to move money into accounts in her name and to purchase bank checks to prevent the IRS from collecting taxes he owed.
U.S. District Court Judge Donetta W. Ambrose, sitting in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, also ordered Rains to serve three years of supervised release and to pay $207,634 in restitution to the IRS.
Rains’ crimes include tax evasion, failure to file individual income tax returns, and filing false tax returns. The case was investigated by special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation and prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Shawn Noud and Christopher O’Donnell of the Tax Division.
The sentence is a result of a thorough investigation by the IRS and a diligent prosecution by the Tax Division. Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Zuckerman thanked the special agents and trial attorneys for their hard work in bringing this case to a successful conclusion.
Rains’ failure to pay his taxes and his attempts to conceal his income and assets from the IRS are a prime example of the types of crimes that the Tax Division is committed to prosecuting. We will continue to work tirelessly to ensure that those who evade their tax obligations are held accountable for their actions.
Key Facts
- State: Pennsylvania
- Category: White Collar Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
ðŸâ€Â’ Get the grimiest stories delivered weekly. Subscribe free →
MORE FEDERAL CRIME NEWS
White Collar CrimeWhite Collar CrimeWhite Collar CrimeWhite Collar Crime