OREM, Utah, Jan. 11, 2023 (Gephardt Daily) — A Utah professional tax preparer has been sentenced to 37 months in prison for tax evasion and conspiring to defraud the U.S. government and obstructing the IRS’ efforts to collect his tax debt, which exceeded $1.1 million.
The U.S. Department of Justice says Sergio Sosa, of Orem, owned and operated Sergio Central Latino, a tax preparation business. He pleaded guilty to charges in June of 2022.
“From approximately 2004 to 2020, Sosa conspired to defraud the United States by concealing his assets and income from the IRS,” the DOJ statement says. “From 2003 through 2017, Sosa also did not timely file his own tax returns or pay the taxes he owed for these years.
After the IRS audited Sosa and began efforts to collect his tax debt – which at the time amounted to more than $750,000 – he obstructed those efforts by using nominees to open business bank accounts, renaming his business and placing it in his children’s names, and making false statements to the IRS. Sosa also directed one of his children to make mortgage payments on his personal residence using funds he provided.”
In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Judge David Sam ordered Sosa to serve 36 months of supervised release and to pay $1,104,737 in restitution to the United States, the DOJ statement says.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Trina A. Higgins for the District of Utah made the announcement. IRS-Criminal Investigation investigated the case.
