SAN FRANCISCO ATTORNEY GUILTY OF FAILING TO PAY INCOME TAXES

WASHINGTON D.C.-Eileen J. O’Connor, Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Nancy Jardini, Chief, IRS Criminal Investigation Division announced today that J. Tony Serra pled guilty to two counts of willful failure to pay federal income taxes at the federal courthouse in San Francisco, California.

“People who don’t pay their taxes should be prepared to face federal criminal prosecution and imprisonment,” said Assistant Attorney General O’Connor.

“Fulfilling individual tax obligations is a legal requirement and those who willfully evade that obligation will be prosecuted,” said IRS Criminal Investigation Division Chief Jardini. “At this time of year, when taxpayers are voluntarily completing their tax filing obligations, they should be reassured by the fact that IRS is enforcing the tax laws and ensuring all taxpayers pay their fair share.”

Mr. Serra, an attorney who resided in Bolinas, California, admitted in his plea agreement that for the years 1992 through 2001, he filed federal income tax returns reporting taxable income and reflecting a tax due and owing, but failed to pay any of the federal income taxes due. For the years 1997 through 2001, Mr. Serra admitted to causing a tax loss of $97,964.

The maximum penalty for each count of failure to pay taxes is one year of imprisonment, a $100,000 fine and payment of the costs of prosecution.

Assistant Attorney General O’Connor thanked Tax Division trial attorneys Charles A. O’Reilly and Blake D. Stamm, who prosecuted the case. She also thanked the special agents of Internal Revenue Service, whose assistance was essential to the successful investigation and prosecution of the case.

Additional information about the Justice Department’s Tax Division and its enforcement efforts may be found at www.usdoj.gov/tax <http://www.usdoj.gov/tax>.

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