Hardy Man Pleads to Tax Charge
Dana C. Nuccio Faces Possible Three-Year Prison Term
| U.S. Attorney’s Office August 02, 2012 |
LYNCHBURG, VA—A straw buyer who lied on a tax form and was part of a larger mortgage fraud scheme pleaded guilty this morning in the United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia in Lynchburg to a tax charge.
Dana C. Nuccio, 45, of Hardy, Virginia, waived his right to be indicted and pled guilty this morning to a one-count information charging him with willfully making and subscribing a return, statement or other document, under the penalty of perjury, that was not true and correct.
“Mr. Nuccio and his co-conspirators enriched themselves by engaging in sham mortgage transactions which defrauded banks,” United States Attorney Timothy J. Heaphy said today. “His failure to pay taxes on the money he received through this scheme has justly landed him in federal court. This office will continue to pursue all those who try to avoid paying their fair share of federal taxes.”
According to evidence presented at today’s hearing by Assistant United States Attorney Charlene Day, Nuccio was involved with a mortgage fraud scheme involving Timothy Scott Brooks, Adam Spruill, and Susan Helbig. The three would find creditworthy individuals to act as straw buyers to apply for property loans and/or construction loans. These straw buyers would falsify their loan documents to show overstated income and assets. Each straw buyer was paid “good faith” money or kickbacks when the loan closed.
Nuccio admitted today to being a straw buyer who received a “good faith” payment and also to not claiming the payment as income on his FY 2007 tax return.
At sentencing, Nuccio faces a maximum possible penalty of up to three years in prison and/or a fine of up to $250,000.
The investigation of the case was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Postal Inspection Service, and the Internal Revenue Service. Assistant United States Attorneys Charlene Day and C. Patrick Hogeboom, III are prosecuting the case for the United States.