A Woburn business owner is facing ten felony tax charges after prosecutors said he hid more than $20 million in company income and skipped out on over $1.2 million in personal income taxes. Jean Brito, 47, who operated Boston Quality Cleaning Services from 2018 through 2023, pleaded not guilty this week in Middlesex Superior Court. The case follows an investigation that included search warrants executed earlier this month, according to authorities.
Indictment And Allegations
According to the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office, Brito was indicted on five counts of tax evasion and five counts of making or subscribing false tax returns. Prosecutors allege that from 2018 through 2023 he underreported more than $20 million in business income and, as a result, evaded more than $1.2 million in personal income taxes. The DA’s office said Assistant District Attorney Graham Van Epps is assigned to the case and that Brito was arraigned this week.
How Prosecutors Say It Worked
Court records reviewed by The Boston Globe state that Brito allegedly cashed checks made out to his company at check-cashing businesses rather than depositing them into business bank accounts. He is also accused of giving his tax preparers incomplete records, which prosecutors say led to inaccurate tax returns. The Globe reported that a year-by-year breakdown in the filings shows Brito’s alleged unpaid personal tax bill climbing from about $58,000 in 2018 to more than $509,000 by 2023.
Searches Turned Up Cash And Records
On Feb. 4, state police detectives, working with investigators from the Department of Revenue and the FBI, executed search warrants at a Woburn residence and the Medford business, according to WCVB. Officers seized about $35,000 in cash, along with documents and electronic devices. Investigators say those materials are central to the DA’s case as the financial probe moves toward trial.
Court Next Steps And Restrictions
Brito was released under conditions that require him to surrender his passport, not apply for a new one, and keep his travel limited to New England unless the court approves otherwise, according to Boston.com. He is scheduled to return to Middlesex Superior Court on March 18, while prosecutors continue preparing their evidence.
Why This Matters
The Department of Revenue’s Criminal Investigations Bureau regularly teams up with local prosecutors on alleged tax evasion and false-filing cases, which often require detailed financial forensics to sort through business records, the agency notes. That collaborative approach, combined with the scope of the alleged underreporting in this case, is part of why both state and federal agents joined the investigation.
