Tax Resolution Times
October 2022 Volume 90, Number 90
INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
Accountant Gets 3 Years in Prison For Failing to Pay Over $1 Million in Payroll Taxes…Page 1
Stockbroker Invests in Himself Using Other People’s Money…Page 1
Con Artist is Placed in a Different Kind of Box…Page 2
Namaste in Prison…Page 2
Thank You!…Page 2
Lord Have Mercy, City Official Sentenced to 14 Years…Page 3
Scheming Bar Owner Ends Up Behind Bars …Page 3
Client of the Month…Page 3
Did You Know…Page 4
Trivia Contest…Page 4
IRS Question Answered…Page 4
“The taxpayer:
That’s someone who
works for the
government but
doesn’t have to
take a civil service
examination.”
Ronald Reagan
Accountant Gets 3 years in Prison For Failing to Pay Over $1 Million in Payroll Taxes
The accountant for a company that makes luxury limousines and buses, Carrie
Leigh Long, was sentenced for embezzling $362,000 and failing to pay over more than one million dollars in payroll and personal taxes.
Long stole from the company 198 times between 2016 and 2019. She used a stock
of pre-signed checks to pay herself unauthorized amounts and also forged checks
made out to herself. She did not claim any of the stolen money on her tax returns,
causing the IRS a loss of $65,039.
Beginning in 2019, Long stopped paying payroll taxes, both the ones owed by her employer and the ones collected from employee salaries. She failed to pay
$902,226 in payroll taxes, which gave her a bigger pool of money to steal from.
Long was on probation while pursuing this scheme, for embezzling $88,000 from
a client of her previous employer. In that case her mother paid the victim back the
$88,000. Long used some of the newly embezzled funds to pay her mother back.
She was sentenced to three years and five months in prison without parole, and
ordered to pay $362,175 to her employer and $1,071,802 to the IRS. The court
also ordered Long to forfeit to the government $362,175.
Used Car Salesman Used Friends to Cheat IRS
Donald Benck, a used car salesman from St. Louis, pleaded guilty to hiding more than $300,000 in income from the IRS.
Benck arranged for his employer to pay his commission via checks made out to several acquaintances. In exchange for a small fee, the acquaintances deposited the checks into their personal bank accounts and gave Benck the cash.
In 2014 Benck underreported his income by $31,300, in 2015 by $131,400, and in 2016 by $93,035, causing the IRS a loss of $84,092.
Benck faces restitution and up to 15 years in prison.
PAGE 2
Con Artist is Placed in a Different Kind of Box
Glen Zinszer was sentenced
to 51 months in prison for
committing wire fraud and
filing false tax returns in
connection with Brazzlebox,
a company he founded and
claimed was Facebook for
business.
For years, Zinszer lied to
investors about how well
Brazzlebox was doing by
inflating the company’s user
numbers, having employees
create fake user accounts,
creating false revenue
generating partnerships, and
forging a letter of intent to
purchase Brazzlebox for
millions of dollars.
From 2012 to 2016, Zinszer
used the bulk of the money
invested to pay for personal
items, including mortgages
on his homes, concert
tickets and jewelry.
From
2013 to 2016 he also
underreported his income on
his federal tax forms.
In addition to the prison
sentence, Zinszer was
ordered to pay $3,049,933
to his victims, including the
government, and forfeited
$2,763,811.
Namaste in Prison
The owners of the Yoga to the People chain have been arrested for failing to file
tax returns from 2013 to 2020. Gregory Gumucio, Michael Anderson, and Haven
Soliman started the donation based yoga studio in Manhattan in 2006, and
ultimately had 20 locations around the country.
Court records show that the studios generated more than 20 million dollars in
income, but despite the company’s success, they never filed a corporate tax
return. The men hid the company’s income by paying employees in cash,
refusing to provide employees with tax documentation, not maintaining books
and records, paying personal expenses from business accounts, and using
nominees to disguise their connection to various entities. They were known to
have “stacking parties” where they would get together to count the cash stacked
in one of their apartments.
Gumucio has unreported income exceeding $1.6 million and an estimated tax
due of $431,000; Anderson has unreported income exceeding $2.1 million and
an estimated tax due of $603,000; and Soliman has unreported income exceeding
$961,000 and an estimated tax due of $196,000. They led a lifestyle that
included foreign travel, NFL season tickets, and horse lodging.
They each face a maximum prison sentence of 30 years, plus restitution.
Thank you!
ABEL & ZOCOLO, Co. LPAAttorneys-at-Law
Park Center Plaza I Suite 100
6100 Oak Tree Blvd.
Independence, OH 44131
216-621-6138 (p)
216-241-5620 (f)
Established in 1974, Abel & Zocolo Co., LPA is a law firm devoted to the practice of family law in Northeast Ohio, allowing our lawyers to craft specialized solutions to even the most unique or difficult of family disputes. Thanks to YOU, the word is spreading. Thanks to my clients, colleagues, and friends who graciously referred me to their friends, clients and relatives! I enjoy building my business based on the positive comments and referrals from people just like you. I just couldn’t do it without you!
Lord Have Mercy City Official Sentenced to 14 Years
Former pastor of Emmanuel Baptist Church in Atlanta, and City of Atlanta
Director of Human Services, Mitzi Bickers, was sentenced to 14 years in prison
for accepting approximately $3 million in bribes, money laundering, and failing
to disclose more than $600,000 in income on her tax return.
Bickers sold critical information to two businessmen which enabled them to
secure contracts with the city for emergency snow removal, sidewalk repair and
maintenance, and bridge reconstruction, totaling more than 15 million dollars. In
addition to charging for the information up front, Bickers also had the men
inflate their invoices to the city so they could give her kickbacks once they were
paid.
In 2011 Bickers reported $58,896 in income on her tax return and received a
refund of $3,924. That same year she received $600,000 in bribes and owed the
IRS more than $200,000. The proceeds from the fraud scheme enabled Bickers
to lead a lavish lifestyle that included purchasing a luxury SUV, jet skis, and a
lakefront home, all of which she has been ordered to forfeit.
Are You My Next Client of the Month?
Every month I choose a very special Client of the Month. It’s my way of acknowledging good friends and saying “thanks!” to those who support me and my business with referrals, word of mouth and repeat business.
This month’s Client of the Month is ˂˂NAME˃˃. Then tell them something special about them, how much they owed and how much you saved them or the result they received from hiring you.
You might be my next Client of the Month too! Watch for your name here in the upcoming month.
PAGE 3
Scheming Bar Owner Ends Up Behind Bars
William Britt, a former
Georgia city councilman, was
sentenced to 33 months in
prison for failing to report
income from several bars he
co-owned near university
campuses.
As part of the scheme, each bar
was nominally owned by an
individual, but in reality all the
bars were owned by a group of
partners who skimmed cash
from the bars, distributed it
amongst themselves based on
their ownership percentages,
and never reported any of the
income on their tax returns.
To throw off the IRS, Britt had
the nominee owners file false
tax returns and gave erroneous
information to his accountant.
He underreported the bars'
income and omitted cash
distributions to the owners. By
the time Britt’s house was
raided by the IRS he and his
partners had been under
investigation for more than a
year.
In addition to the prison
sentence Britt was ordered to
pay $352,404.54 in restitution to
the IRS. His partners are
awaiting trial.
PAGE 4
Did You Know?
In 2005, Arkansas
began charging a $6
tax on tattoos and
body piercings.
Electrolysis
treatments are also
taxed under this law,
so going hairless in
Arkansas will cost
you extra.
Thank you for the Kind Words…
I would tell anyone with an IRS
problem to see Mira Chopra. My
wife and I received a bill for
$22,000 from the IRS. We didn’t
know what we were going to do.
I called Mira and told her our
problem. She told me not to worry
about it and bring her the bill. She
reviewed it and told us not to
worry. Within weeks, we received
a new bill for $50!! Thank you
Mira!!
I’d Like to Hear From You!
I’d Like to Hear From You!
If you have an IRS issue, or
just want to refer a friend,
relative or client, we’d love
to hear from you. We can
provide a no-obligation
confidential consultation to
help you solve your IRS
problems.
I can help CHOP your
IRS Problems
Call 216-966-1029
OR EMAIL
[email protected]
Enter Our Trivia Contest for a Chance to Win a $250 Transferrable Gift Certificate!
Take the Trivia Challenge to win!
Each month, I’ll give you a new trivTHREEia question or two. The first people who email my office with the correct answer win a free $250 reduction on any IRS service I provide. Your prize is also transferrable, so use it for yourself, or give it to a family member or friend. Take your best guess and call me at 216-966-1029 OR EMAIL me at [email protected] This month’s questions are:.
1.) How many Americans planned to carve a pumpkin for Halloween in 2021?
a) About 85 million c) About 105 million
b) About 204 million d) About 146 million
2.) What country produces the most coffee?
a) Brazil c) United States b) Columbia d) Spain
Your IRS Questions Answered Here…
Question: The IRS is hounding me for $63,000 and won’t leave me alone, so I’ve finally decided to seek help from a Tax Professional who specializes in IRS problems. I want to start getting my paperwork together for the appointment; what will I need to bring with me?
Answer: It’s very important to have certain documentation with you for the initial interview. Your tax resolution specialist will need this info to protect your income and assets and to determine the best path forward to resolve your tax issues once and for all.
The items to bring include:
› The most recent IRS/State tax notices and collection notices you’ve received.
› The latest filed income (1040) tax return, if you have one.
› A monthly household cash flow budget (current income and expenses)
› At recent paystub with YTD information including withholdings and other
payroll deductions;
› If you are self-employed, an independent contractor, or small business owner,
prepare a “rough draft” current profit and loss statement. If this is not possible,
just bring your Schedule C from your most recently filed 1040 if you have one.
› A list of any quarterly estimated tax payments made, if any, for the current year
The information above will determine which IRS debt settlement program is best suited
for you, including settling with the IRS for a fraction of what you owe, if you qualify.
We at LAW OFFICE OF MIRA CHOPRA, THE IRS PROBLEM CHOPPER are experts
at navigating the IRS maze and will customize a resolution plan to fit your individual needs to help you permanently solve your IRS Problems. Call us today at 216-966-1029 for a free confidential consultation