new jersey businessman charged with structuring more than $2 million in tax evasion scheme

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 13, 2012

 

NEWARK, N.J. – Emanuel Marques, the president and owner of several auto parts stores in northern New Jersey, was arrested today by special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation for allegedly making more than $2 million worth of payments and deposits in amounts less than $10,000 in order to evade taxes, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.

Marques, 33, charged by Complaint with one count of structuring, made his initial appearance today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Patty Shwartz in Newark federal court. A parallel civil complaint seeking the forfeiture of eight pieces of real property purchased and/or improved with the structured funds was also filed last month.

According to the Complaint:

From Nov. 15, 2005, through Feb. 13, 2012, Marques structured, or caused to be structured, money order purchases and cash deposits totaling $2,024,504.18. Those structured funds were then used to purchase or improve eight pieces of real property. None of these deposits or purchases were greater than $10,000, the amount that would have triggered the filing of a currency transaction report (“CTR”) with the U.S. Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network.

CTRs require disclosure of the identity of the individual who conducted the transaction and the individual or organization for whom the transaction was completed. Many people involved in illegal activities, such as narcotics trafficking, tax evasion, and money laundering, take active steps to cause financial institutions to fail to file CTRs in order to avoid detection of the movement of large amounts of U.S. currency. These active steps are referred to as “structuring” and involve making multiple cash deposits or withdrawals in amounts of $10,000 or less on the same day or consecutive days in order to avoid the filing of CTRs.

U.S. Attorney Fishman credited special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, under the
direction of Special Agent in Charge Victor W. Lessoff in Newark, with the investigation leading to the arrest.

The charge and allegations contained in the Criminal Complaint are merely accusations and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Evan Weitz, of the U.S.
Attorney’s Office Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Unit in Newark.

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Defense counsel: George Schneider Esq., Newark, NJ

Marques Criminal Complaint
Marques Civil Complaint

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