Press Release
FORMER WEST PALM BEACH CITY COMMISSIONER EXLINE PLEADS GUILTY TO FILING A FALSE TAX RETURN
March 19, 2007
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
R. Alexander Acosta, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Charles E. Hunter, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Criminal Investigation Division, and Jonathan I. Solomon, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, announce that former West Palm Beach City Commissioner James L. Exline pled guilty today in West Palm Beach, Florida, before United States District Court Judge Kenneth A. Marra to filing a false individual income tax return with the IRS, for tax year 2004, in violation of Title 26, U.S.C., Section 7206(1).
Through an Information, the United States Attorney charged that Exline failed to report $50,000 in income paid to him by a Palm Beach County land developer. The payment was for past and future real estate commissions, and for land planning services related to a development being proposed by the land developer. Exline directed the land developer to pay the $50,000 to a third party, who then paid Exline. At some point after the $50,000 payment, and while the proposed development was pending in the City of West Palm Beach, Exline met with City staff members about land use and planning issues related to the development. During the course of these meetings, Exline did not disclose that he had been retained by the developer. The development was not in Exline's City Commission district.
Sentencing is scheduled for June 8, 2007 at 2:00 p.m. If convicted, Exline faces up to 3 years' imprisonment and a $250,000 fine.
Mr. Acosta commended the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation for their investigative efforts in this case, and thanked the Office of the State Attorney, Fifteenth Judicial Circuit, for their cooperation in this matter. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys John S. Kastrenakes and Bruce E. Reinhart.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida at http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at http://www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
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