A Corona man has been handed a federal prison sentence of one year and one day after being convicted of a tax fraud scheme that amounted to over $1.2 million, derived from the sale of memorabilia signed by the legendary Stan Lee. Mac Martin Anderson, 59, was sentenced by United States District Judge Kenly Kiya Kato, as stated in a press release from the Department of Justice.
Having pleaded guilty on March 11 to a pair of counts for willfully subscribing to a false tax return, Anderson, who enjoyed a personal relationship with Stan Lee, harvested the fruits of his memorabilia sales at commerce gatherings of comic aficionados. These transactions, which took place between 2015 and 2018, were not reported to the IRS and thus made up the unclaimed income that has landed him in hot water.
Payments from the sale of memorabilia, usually in the form of cash or checks, were received by Anderson. These dealings, as reported, should have been included on his income tax returns according to IRS regulations. A detailed investigation by the IRS Criminal Investigation unit revealed that Anderson's reportable income from such sales was around $1,236,485 over the four years, which would have resulted in about $482,833 in taxes, a figure that he also admitted to.
United States District Judge Kenly Kiya Kato, in addition to Anderson’s prison term, has ordered the guilty party to settle up, imposing a restitution payment of $482,833. Assistant United States Attorneys Mark Aveis of the Major Frauds Section and Sarah E. Spielberger of the Asset Forfeiture and Recovery Section led the successful prosecution in this case.
