FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                               CONTACT:  DAVILYN WALSTON
THURSDAY, APRIL 19, 2007                                                                    PHONE: (409) 839-2538
WWW.USDOJ.GOV/USAO/txe                                                                   CELL: (409) 553-9881
                                                                                                    

FRISCO MAN CHARGED WITH TAX FRAUD

            SHERMAN, TX – United States Attorney Matthew D. Orwig announced today that a 66-year-old Frisco man has been indicted for tax fraud in the Eastern District of Texas.

            GEORGE SOUTHGATE BUSIEK was indicted by a federal grand jury on April 12, 2007 and charged with willfully evading payment of his federal income taxes for tax years 1995 through 1998.

According to the indictment, Busiek is alleged to have evaded payment of approximately $6,490 in income taxes by not filing tax returns for those years until June 2000; by submitting false statements to an IRS Revenue Officer regarding his income and the existence of assets and bank accounts; by submitting false collection documents to the IRS which misrepresented the amount of his income and which failed to reveal the existence of bank accounts that he controlled; by placing his income in a bank account that bore the name of a third party entity; by repeatedly misrepresenting to an IRS Revenue Officer that he would pay the taxes on a certain date; by paying other creditors instead of paying the taxes to the IRS; and by opening a bank account which he falsely claimed was exempt from backup withholding.  The indictment alleges that he also made false statements to the IRS on collection forms.  The indictment also charges Busiek with willfully failing to file income tax returns for tax years 2000 and 2001.

            If convicted, Busiek faces up to seven years in federal prison and a fine of up to $450,000.

            The case is being investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Andy Williams.

It is important to note that an indictment should not be considered as evidence of guilt and that all persons charged with a crime are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.   

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