California Real Estate Agent Indicted on Tax Evasion and Obstruction Charges

A federal grand jury in Los Angeles has indicted Gabriel Guerrero, a commercial real estate agent based in Los Angeles, on charges of tax evasion and obstructing the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in its efforts to collect outstanding taxes.

The indictment alleges that Guerrero failed to timely file his tax returns for multiple years and did not pay the amounts owed after filing over 10 years’ worth of returns in 2014.

According to the indictment, when the IRS attempted to collect the taxes owed, Guerrero allegedly took steps to evade payment, including not depositing substantial commission checks from real estate sales into his bank accounts and using cashier’s checks to avoid IRS levies on those accounts.

Furthermore, Guerrero is accused of obstructing IRS collection efforts by submitting false financial disclosure forms that underreported his income and by concealing a bank account he used to deposit his earnings.

The total tax loss caused by Guerrero’s actions is alleged to exceed $350,000.

If convicted, Guerrero faces a maximum prison sentence of five years for tax evasion and three years for obstructing the IRS.

Sentencing will be determined by a federal district court judge, who will consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The case is being investigated by IRS Criminal Investigation.

Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada for the Central District of California announced the indictment.

This article, "California Real Estate Agent Indicted on Tax Evasion and Obstruction Charges" was first published on Small Business Trends