A New Bedford commercial fisherman is on the hook for nearly $300,000 in unpaid taxes after pleading guilty to federal charges. Rodolfo Membreno, 49, of Fall River, faced the scales of justice and admitted to tax evasion in court this week, officials said.
According to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Massachusetts, Membreno pulled in over $1.3 million between 2013 and 2021, but he failed to file taxes for most of those years, and submitted a fraudulent return in 2020. The fisherman's determination to avoid taxes involved repeatedly cashing his paychecks to live a cash-based, off-the-grid lifestyle, consequently dodging the IRS's line of sight.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy highlighted the case alongside officials from the Justice Department’s Tax Division and the IRS’s Criminal Investigations. The evasion, according to the feds, led to a significant shortfall, the IRS is out roughly $293,118, not counting the added penalties and interest.
Tax evasion comes with hefty penalties potentially including up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing is in the hands of U.S. District Judge Richard G. Stearns, due to drop the gavel on May 15.. Special Agent Harry Chavis, Jr. stressed that Membreno’s financial shenanigans were ultimately netted by vigilant IRS investigation tactics.
