Judge Selna just sentenced our client to six months in federal prison for evading taxes. The guidelines were 24-30 months in federal prison.
The judge’s decision was based on the belief that tax evasion should warrant imprisonment, as it is harder to conceal or camouflage and requires more time for investigators to uncover. In contrast, embezzlement cases are easier to identify because the fraud would come out through an audit.
Despite our client’s efforts to make amends, including paying back $3 million, accepting responsibility, and volunteering more than 1000 hours, Judge Selna still sentenced him to prison. The judge’s decision was likely driven by the need to send a message to others considering tax evasion.
Even though our client got a much shorter than guideline sentence, sending him to federal prison wastes resources. He had made significant efforts to make amends, and everyone, including the judge, knew he would never return to court as a defendant. Despite this, Judge Selna still chose to sentence him to federal prison.
Justin Paperny
