FLORIDA – A Florida businessman has been sentenced to prison for tax evasion.
David Albert Fletcher, of Deltona, was sentenced to 30 months in prison last week for evading more than $5.5 million in taxes, interest, and penalties that he owed the IRS.
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According to court documents and statements made in court, Mr Fletcher owned and operated furniture liquidation businesses, including Century Liquidators. For tax years 2004 through 2013, Fletcher reportedly did not file his federal income tax returns in a timely manner or pay the taxes he owed.
After an audit, the IRS assessed a total of $1.7 million in taxes, interest, and penalties against him.
To evade the collection of these taxes, Mr Fletcher is said to have concealed his income and assets from the IRS. For example, he reportedly used nominees to hide his purchases of luxury vehicles, including Rolls-Royces.
According to prosecutors, Mr Fletcher also filed false income tax returns that understated his income by several million dollars. When an IRS special agent interviewed him, he falsely represented the amount of income he earned.
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In addition to his prison sentence, U.S. District Judge Wendy Berger for the Middle District of Florida ordered Mr Fletcher to serve three years of supervised release and to pay approximately $7,112,689 in restitution to the United States.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe for the Middle District of Florida made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case.
Trial Attorneys Zachary A. Cobb and Charles A. O’Reilly of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan Testerman for the Middle District of Florida prosecuted the case.
