Painting Contractor Sentenced to Prison for Filing False Tax Returns

Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that RONALD S. BATTAGLIA, 66, of Stratford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in Bridgeport to 30 days of imprisonment and one year of supervised release for filing false tax returns.

According to court documents and statements made in court, BATTAGLIA is the sole owner of Custom Painting, which provides interior and exterior painting services primarily in Fairfield County.  During the 2008 through 2012 tax years, BATTAGLIA failed to provide his tax return preparer with information concerning an additional $867,656 in gross receipts he received in those years.  The total tax reported as due on the five returns was $46,687, but BATTAGLIA willfully failed to report and pay an additional $277,582 in federal income taxes for those five years.

The investigation revealed that BATTAGLIA’s clients typically paid him by check.  BATTAGLIA then cashed the checks at his bank and received currency for the full value of the check, or he made a split deposit, receiving some cash and depositing the balance into his business account.  The amounts of the transactions were typically less than $10,000.

On July 20, 2015, BATTAGLIA pleaded guilty to one count of filing a false tax return.

BATTAGLIA has repaid the IRS $277,582 in restitution.  He is still required to pay more than $250,000 in penalties and interest that have accrued on his unpaid taxes.

This matter was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter S. Jongbloed.