PHILADELPHIA—Francis J. Cinelli, Sr., M.D., 87, of Wind Gap, PA, pleaded guilty today to aiding and abetting the filing of a false tax return. Cinelli’s son, Francis J. Cinelli, Jr., 49, also of Wind Gap, PA, is charged with filing a false tax return for 2007 which failed to declare approximately $163,000 in income he had earned during that year. U.S. District Court Judge Jeffrey L. Schmehl scheduled a March 20, 2015 sentencing hearing for Cinelli, Sr.

Cinelli, Sr., admitted that between 2007 and 2011, he engaged in a scheme to help his son avoid paying income tax, in part by paying his son in cash. Cinelli, Sr. is part owner in Bangor Medical Group which owns a vitamin store that Cinelli, Jr. ran. Cinelli, Sr. would pay his son a partial salary by payroll check, partly by having store customers make checks for their purchases made payable to Cinelli, Jr. This was so Cinelli, Jr. could avoid declaring the income. In total, Cinelli, Jr. underreported his taxable income by $488,329.82 for tax years 2007 through 2011. The Internal Revenue Service was defrauded of $95,360 in tax for which Cinelli, Sr. is joint and severally liable.

Cinelli, Sr. faces a maximum possible sentence of three years in prison, restitution to the IRS, a one year term of supervised release, a $100,000 fine, and a $100 special assessment.

This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael S. Lowe.