A Pueblo, Colorado, man has been handed a federal prison sentence for evading income tax, as announced by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado. Solomon Paul Garcia, 46, will serve one year and one day in prison followed by a three-year term of supervised release.
During a period stretching from 2016 to 2020, Garcia, working as a journeyman electrical lineman, willfully avoided paying significant income tax by repeatedly submitting W-4 forms to his various employers with false claims of up to 99 allowances or tax exemptions. Per the plea agreement, Garcia was only entitled to claim two allowances. This egregious under-withholding led to a federal tax evasion totaling $267,028.50.
"People who evade their taxes are stealing from all the other taxpayers who pay what they owe. Our office will continue to aggressively prosecute tax evaders," Acting United States Attorney Matt Kirsch said, as per the U.S. Department of Justice. Garcia’s actions did not merely flout the law, but they also misrepresented his tax liability, contributing to an unequal financial burden upon conscientious taxpayers.
Alongside the custodial sentence, a Court order, stemming from a plea agreement, mandates that Garcia pay restitution that covers the taxes, interest, and penalties as calculated by the Internal Revenue Service. The total surpasses $548,000. “Falsifying Form W-4s and claiming up to 99 allowances to avoid paying taxes is not only a crime against the federal government, it also unfairly shifts the tax burden to honest taxpayers,” IRS Criminal Investigation Acting Special Agent in Charge Tom Demeo said, as obtained the U.S. Department of Justice.
United States District Court Judge Nina Y. Wang delivered the sentencing on August 28. The investigation was carried out by IRS Criminal Investigation, and Assistant United States Attorney Bradley W. Giles spearheaded the prosecution.
