Sergio Gardea an accountant and tax return preparer with offices in Akron and Canton, Ohio prevailed in his federal jury trial in dramatic fashion with an unanimous NOT GUILTY verdict on all counts. Mr. Gardea had been charged with 30 counts of willfully filing false tax returns for clients. During the trial 9 counts were dismissed by the government and the jury found Mr. Gardea NOT GUILTY on all 21 counts remaining.
Tax Return Preparer Wins Federal Criminal Tax Trial in Stunning Fashion.
Verdict: Not Guilty on 30 Counts - United States v. Sergio Gardea.
Written by on in Criminal Tax Cases, When Winning is Your Only Option.
United States v. Sergio Gardea. Tax preparer found not guilty on all 30 counts of preparing false tax returns following a 2-weeks jury trial today. Mr. Gardea was represented by Miami criminal tax lawyer David M. Garvin.
Selecting a Criminal Attorney, When Winning is Your Only Option, Revisited
Written by on in Criminal Tax Cases, Tax Audits, Appeals & Litigation, When Winning is Your Only Option.
Selecting a Criminal Attorney: If you learned that you were the target of a federal investigation, who would you call? How would you select a lawyer to represent you? In October of 2016 this blog discussed a number of factors that affect the outcome of federal criminal jury trials. This subject matter is revisited with newly published data by the United States District Courts.
When Does the Rule of Lenity Apply.
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It has been long recognized that a criminal statute that is ambiguous and capable of being interpreted to apply to more than one set of conduct, should be applied in a fashion that is narrower in scope.
Internal Revenue Code Section 7212 versus Obstruction of Justice Section 1510
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Which Federal Sentencing Guidelines Apply to a Section 7212 Violation of the Internal Revenue Code for Obstruction of Justice?
The Required Records Doctrine is the Weapon of Choice of the Government When Prosecuting Taxpayers For Failure to File FBAR Reports and Account For Taxes
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The Government Has Focused a Considerable Amount of Energy To Prosecute Taxpayers Who Failed to File FBAR Reports and Accurately Account For Taxes. The Government has used the Required Records Doctrine to compel taxpayers to produce foreign bank account records.
Understanding the Purpose of the Criminal Investigation Division of the Internal Revenue Service and Its Effect on Criminal Investigations and Indictments
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Taxpayers who are the target of an Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Division investigation benefit from an understanding of the purpose of these investigations.
Definition of "Willful" in Civil Cases Includes Reckless Disregard of Tax Laws
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District Court finds in FBAR penalty trial that the definition of willful in civil cases includes reckless disregard of tax laws. The Court found that the burden of proof in a civil FBAR penalty case was a mere preponderance of the evidence. The IRS was not bound by the opinion of General Counsel or its own manual that state that the definition of willful should be the same in civil cases as in criminal cases.
Court Holds That in Certain Criminal Tax Cases the Date that the Statute of Limitations Begins to Run is the Date that the Taxpayer Acts Willfully
Written by on in Tax Fraud Report.
The statute of limitations for tax crimes may not begin to run on the later of the date the tax return was due or the date the return was filed. With regard to certain tax crimes, such as 7202, the date that the statute of limitation begins is the date that the taxpayer acted willfully. This will often be a question of fact that must be decided by the jury. As a result, a motion to dismiss based upon dates set forth in the indictment may be denied.
Selecting a Criminal Tax Attorney When Winning is Your Only Option
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Selecting a criminal tax attorney to represent you during a criminal tax investigation by the Criminal Investigation Division of the IRS may be a substantial factor in determining whether you will be indicted and ultimately whether you will prevail at trial with a jury verdict of NOT GUILTY on all counts.