Baldwinsville Man Enters Guilty Plea to False Tax Return

Richard S. Hartunian, United States Attorney, Northern District of New York, announces that Christopher Bevans (38 of Baldwinsville, New York), entered a guilty plea to the felony offense of subscribing a false income tax return, in violation of Title 26, United States Code, Section 7206(1). The defendant is facing a statutory maximum sentence of three years’ imprisonment, a maximum fine of $250,000, and restitution to the IRS in the amount of $75,725. Bevans is scheduled to be sentenced on October 9, 2013, before the Honorable Mae D’Agostino, in Albany, New York.

During the plea hearing on June 13, 2013, Bevans admitted that in 2007 and 2008 he was an employee of Velocitel Inc., a telecommunications company, and during that employment, he earned additional income from another Velocitel employee and Velocitel subcontractor. This income was in addition to the wages disclosed on his W-2 forms. The additional income paid to Christopher Bevans for 2007 was $59,600 and for 2008 was $162,550, for a total of $222,150. Bevans failed to include the $59,600 as income on his 2007 personal federal tax return and $162,550 as income on his 2008 personal federal tax return. Each of these returns were made and signed by him under penalty of perjury. Bevans knew these tax returns were false because each substantially under reported his income and tax liability for that year. The foregoing resulted in a tax deficiency to the IRS totaling $75,725.

This prosecution resulted from an investigation conducted by the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Syracuse, New York. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Tamara B. Thomson. Further questions may be directed to Executive Assistant U.S. Attorney John Duncan at (315) 448-0672.