Source: United States Attorneys General
A Massachusetts man and a former attorney pleaded guilty today to evading his taxes.
The following is according to court documents and statements made in court: until 2020, Paul Anthony Conte, of Upton, Massachusetts, was an attorney and member of the Massachusetts Bar. From approximately January 2003 through at least 2020, through several companies, Conte earned income by offering services as a taxation, investments, and real estate specialist.
Yet, from at least 2016 through 2020, Conte did not file any tax returns either for himself or his companies. Conte also attempted to conceal his income from the IRS by using his business bank accounts to pay for his personal expenses, including purchasing auto parts, guns, jewelry, and powersports vehicles. Conte further concealed his income by transferring funds from his business entities to his wife, and then using his wife’s bank accounts, in which Conte was not a signatory until 2020, to pay his personal expenses.
Conte is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 9. He faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison as well as a period of supervised release, restitution, and monetary penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney for Criminal Matters Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.
Trial Attorney Catriona Coppler and Assistant Chief Jorge Almonte of the Tax Division are prosecuting the case.