The United States Attorney’s Office
District of Massachusetts

For Immediate Release
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
www.usdoj.gov/usao/ma

Contact:Christina Diiorio-Sterling
Phone: (617)748–3356
E–Mail: usama.media@usdoj.gov

Westfield Man Pleads Guilty to Filing False Tax Returns and Failing to File Tax Returns

BOSTON, MA – A Westfield man was convicted today in federal court of filing false income tax returns and failing to file income tax returns.

United States Attorney Michael J. Sullivan, Joann Zuniga, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation – Boston Field Office, and Brian Hickey, Regional Inspector General for Investigations, U.S. Department of Education, Office of Inspector General, Region I and II, announced today that MARK LAVOIE, age 54, of 985 Granville Road, Westfield, Massachusetts, pled guilty before U.S. District Judge Michael A. Ponsor to Filing False Income Tax Returns and Failing to File Income Tax Returns.

At today's plea hearing, the prosecutor told the Court that had the case proceeded to trial the Government’s evidence would have proven that the defendant under-reported his income on his 2001 and 2002 income tax returns by over $132,000. LAVOIE also failed to file income tax returns for 2004, 2005, and 2006 when he had approximate gross incomes of $164,250, $186,595, and $424,121, respectively.

Judge Ponsor scheduled sentencing for April 8, 2009. LAVOIE faces up to nine years imprisonment, to be followed by five years of supervised release, and a $275,000 fine on all of the charges.

The case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation – Boston Field Office and U.S. Department of Education, Office of Inspector General. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alex J. Grant of Sullivan’s Springfield Branch Unit.