PENSACOLA, Fla. — A former Gulf Breeze attorney has been sentenced to federal prison for tax evasion, the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Florida has announced.
William Cater Elliott, 61, of Gulf Breeze, was sentenced to one year in federal prison after pleading guilty on May 4, 2022, to three counts of tax evasion for the years of 2015, 2016, and 2017, said Jason R. Coody, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
According to the announcement, Elliot was a former attorney and the sole proprietor of William C. Elliott Associates, P.A., a law firm in Gulf Breeze, Florida.
“The United States relies on the payment of taxes to defend our country and maintain its operations,” said Coody.
“We will investigate and prosecute those who falsely misrepresent their income – whether by traditional evasion or the filing of fraudulent documents.”
In addition to the federal imprisonment, Elliot was ordered to pay $211,073.00 in restitution and $116,896.25 in cost of prosecution fees. Elliot’s imprisonment will be followed by three years of supervised release – with the first three months to be served on Home Confinement, Coody said.
The case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division. Assistant United States Attorney Andrew J. Grogan prosecuted the case.