An Apopka man, James Fabius King, also known as Douglas Mesadieu, has been sentenced to a year of confinement after pleading guilty to tax evasion charges. U.S. District Judge Wendy W. Berger handed down the sentence, which included six months in federal prison and six more months of home detention.
In an intricate attempt to shirk his fiscal responsibilities, King allegedly used nominee companies to surreptitiously cover personal expenses and make payments on a luxury Audi R8 sports car. He also transferred luxury vehicles, including Aston Martin, Rolls Royce, and Bentley, into a business's name, likely to avoid paying his sizable tax bill outright. Court documents cited by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida reveal that he owed over half a million in taxes on income surpassing $1.7 million earned in 2013.
According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Special Agent in Charge of IRS-Criminal Investigation’s Tampa Field Office, Ron Loecker, addressed the gravity of King's actions, emphasizing the covenant of fairness the tax system is predicated upon. "The dishonesty exhibited by the defendant is a clear violation of the laws we all abide by," Loecker articulated. "While we may not always like it, we each have a responsibility to our country and ultimately to each other. We will not ignore attempts to cheat the tax system for personal gain."
The IRS-Criminal Investigation's pursuit and subsequent prosecution of King signify a determined effort to enforce this contract fairly. King has also been ordered to pay for his deceit – restitution for $546,479 has been mandated by the court, equating to the tax losses suffered by the United States due to his evasion. Assistant United States Attorney Chauncey A. Bratt championed the case.
