Loading
PORT CHARLOTTE — A federal jury found a Charlotte County man guilty of three counts of filing fraudulent tax returns.
Peter Hesser, 51, of Port Charlotte, was also convicted of one count of tax evasion, according to a release from the U.S. Attorney's office. Hesser, who was indicted Oct. 3, had a “pattern of deceit” stretching more than a decade, the office states.
Hesser, according to the release, filed fraudulent claims with the IRS for 2005, 2006 and 2007. Authorities contended that Hesser claimed he was owed $500,000 for those three years. Hesser also converted assets into gold and silver, according to trial testimony, and he attempted to shield his mortgage payments in a bogus land transfer.
The U.S. Attorney's office says the documents, in total, weren't “legitimate and were prepared with the sole purpose of defrauding the government.”
“To build faith in our nation's tax system, honest taxpayers need to be reassured that everyone is paying what the law requires,” James D. Robnet with IRS Criminal Investigation out of the Tampa Field Office says in a release. “As this verdict shows, there is no secret formula to eliminate your tax obligation. The IRS-Criminal Investigation division, together with the Department of Justice will investigate and prosecute those who violate our tax system.”
Your free article limit has been reached this month.
Subscribe now for unlimited digital access to our award-winning business news.
Join thousands of executives who rely on us for insights spanning Tampa Bay to Naples.
