FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT
AUSA VICKIE E. LEDUC or
MARCIA MURPHY at 410-209-4885
December 20, 2010
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTRACTOR FOR DOJ AND EPA SENTENCED TO PRISON FOR FAILING TO FILE FEDERAL INCOME TAX RETURNS
Failed to Pay $214,794 in Taxes While Receiving
Over $850,000 in Fees from the Government
Baltimore, Maryland - U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett sentenced Joseph Van Gieson, age 59, of Annapolis, Maryland, today to one year in prison, six months of which is to be served in home detention, followed by one year of supervised release, for failing to file federal income tax returns for tax years 2003 through 2006. Judge Bennett also ordered Van Gieson to pay a $4,000 fine.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein and Special Agent in Charge Rebecca Sparkman of the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation.
“Tax fraud harms everyone,” stated Rebecca Sparkman, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge, Washington DC Field Office. “To maintain faith in our nation’s tax system, honest taxpayers need to be reassured that everyone is paying their fair share.”
According to the four count indictment to which he pled guilty, since 2003,Van Gieson worked as a self-employed consultant for the United States Department of Justice and the Environmental Protection Agency. From 2003 through 2006,Van Gieson and his wife received a gross income of $851,747, and incurred a tax liability of $214,794. Van Gieson requested, and was granted, extensions for filing his federal tax returns for years 2003 through 2005, but he admitted that he did not file a tax return for any of those years, nor did he file a tax return for 2006.
United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein praised the IRS-CI for its work in this investigation and thanked Assistant United States Attorney Mark W. Crooks, who prosecuted the case.