July 25, 2003

PRESS RELEASE

TWO BROTHERS PLEAD GUILTY TO TAX, WAGERING CRIMES

Boston, MA... A Florida man and his Massachusetts brother were convicted yesterday in federal court of tax and wagering crimes.

United States Attorney Michael J. Sullivan; Joseph A. Galasso, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation; and Colonel Thomas J. Foley, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police, announced that DONALD A WILLIS, age 68, of Florida, formerly of 18 Cliffside Drive, Plymouth, Massachusetts, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Nancy Gertner to four counts of subscribing to, and filing, a false federal income tax return. His brother, PAUL F. WILLIS, age 67, of 222 Cain Avenue, Braintree, also pleaded guilty yesterday in a separate hearing before U.S. District Judge Patti B. Saris to one count of interstate transmission of wagering information.

At yesterday's plea hearings, the prosecutor told the courts that, had the cases proceeded to trial, the Government's evidence would have proven that DONALD WILLIS was the primary operator of an illegal gambling business with a main office located in Waltham, Massachusetts. DONALD WILLIS routinely submitted federal tax returns which substantially understated his actual income by failing to include his income from the illegal gambling business. In his 1996 federal income tax return, DONALD WILLIS reported total income of $63,800 when in fact his income was at least $130,709. Likewise in his 1997 federal income tax return DONALD WILLIS reported total income of $58,408 when in fact his income was at least $152,599; in his 1998 federal income tax return DONALD WILLIS reported total income of $63, 943 when in fact his total income was at least $378,491; and in his 1999 federal income tax return, DONALD WILLIS reported total income of $145,057 when in fact his total income was at least $624,593.

The prosecutor also stated that PAUL WILLIS assisted in running his brother's illegal gambling business and that, in the course of doing so, he placed a telephone call from Georgia to Massachusetts in order to accept or place bets or wagers or give or receive information assisting in the placing of bets and wagers.

Judge Gertner scheduled sentencing for DONALD WILLIS on October 28, 2003. DONALD WILLIS faces up to 3 years' imprisonment, to be followed by one year of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine on each of the four counts. Judge Saris scheduled sentencing for PAUL WILLIS for October 30, 2003. PAUL WILLIS faces up to 2 years' imprisonment to be followed by one year of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.

The case was referred to the U.S. Attorney's Office by the Norfolk County District Attorney's Office, investigated by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation and the Massachusetts State Police. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark J. Balthazard in Sullivan's Economic Crimes Unit.

Press Contact: Samantha Martin, (617) 748-3139