A Palm Beach Gardens man, Matthew Brown, was handed a 50-month prison sentence after defrauding the U.S. government of more than $20 million in taxes. Court documents reveal that Brown, owner of Elite Payroll and other businesses, withheld taxes from employees' wages but failed to remit these funds to the IRS, thereby amassing wealth that supported a luxurious lifestyle.
Elite Payroll, entrusted by small businesses for payroll services, was supposed to collect and pay Social Security, Medicare, and federal income taxes. However, from 2014 to 2022, Brown siphoned off these critical funds while falsely representing his clients' tax liabilities. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, in an instance in 2021, Brown collected around $219,000 in taxes from a client but reported only about $32,000 to the IRS, pocketing the remaining $190,000.
This scheme allowed Brown to indulge in an extravagant collection of valuables, including real estate, a Valhalla 55 Sport Yacht, a Falcon 50 Aircraft, and notably, 27 Ferraris among other luxury cars. Post-conviction, U.S. District Judge Aileen M. Cannon ordered Brown to serve two years of supervised release and commanded he pay $22,401,585 in restitution, alongside a $200,000 fine.
Investigations by the IRS Criminal Investigation division brought Brown's activities to light, with profound efforts from Trial Attorney Andrew Ascencio of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Porter for the Southern District of Florida. As reported by the Justice Department, Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney Karen E. Kelly and U.S. Attorney Hayden O'Bryne announced the sentencing yesterday.
