Lafayette Man Indicted for Tax Evasion, Making a False Tax Return

LAFAYETTE, La. –A federal grand jury indicted a Lafayette man Wednesday for not listing more than $350,000 on an income tax return, U.S. Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced.

Donald Domingues, 56, of Lafayette, was charged by a federal grand jury with one count of tax evasion and one count of making a false tax return. According to the indictment, when Domingues filed his U.S. Individual Income Tax Return, Form 1040 for calendar year 2007, he reported $259,725 as income and paid $64,909 in taxes. Domingues is accused of intentionally leaving out a $351,000 sales commission, which would have made his correct gross income $610,725 and his payment to the IRS 185,959.

If convicted, Domingues faces five years in prison and three years of supervised release for tax evasion, and he faces three years in prison and one year of supervised release for making a false statement in a tax return.  He also faces up to a $100,000 fine and restitution.

The IRS investigated the case.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Howard C. Parker is prosecuting the case.

An indictment is merely an accusation and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.