December 11, 2001

CHIROPRACTOR PLEADS GUILTY TO FILING FALSE TAX RETURNS

 A chiropractor who practices in El Monte has pleaded guilty to charges of filing false corporate income tax returns for his practice, United States Attorney John Gordon announced today.
 Roberto Roman, 61, pleaded guilty Monday afternoon before United States District Judge Terry J. Hatter Jr. to two counts of filing false tax returns for the  years 1995 and 1996. The charges are based on the corporate income tax returns Roman filed with the Internal Revenue Service for Roman Chiropractic Incorporated, his clinic in El Monte.
 Roman treated patients that had been referred to him from personal injury attorneys. By pleading guilty, Roman admitted that he cashed checks attorneys wrote to him at banks and check-cashing businesses and that he failed to report the receipt of these funds on his tax returns. During the years 1995 and 1996, which are the subject of the criminal case, Roman cashed checks totaling $497,000 and failed to report the receipt of these funds on his tax returns.
 Roman is scheduled to be sentenced Judge Hatter on February 25, 2002. At sentencing, Roman faces a maximum sentence of six years in federal prison.
 This case is the product of an ongoing investigation conducted by the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation into income tax violations by attorneys, doctors, cappers and administrators in connection with the filing of personal injury claims. To date, approximately 60 individuals have been convicted of tax offenses resulting from the investigation.
 Only last week, attorney Derrick Anthony Hoo, 56, pleaded guilty before United States District Judge Margaret M. Morrow to five counts of income tax evasion for the years 1993 through 1997 based on the personal income tax returns which he filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Hoo, who practiced personal injury law at law offices in Los Angeles and San Francisco, admitted that he received at least $281,000 in income during the five years, but he filed income tax returns for each of those years in which he reported his taxable income as zero. Judge Morrow is scheduled to sentence Hoo on February 25, 2002, at which time Hoo faces a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison.

 Release No. 01-179

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