News and Press Releases
Business owner pleads guilty to failure to pay withholding taxes
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 1, 2012
MINNEAPOLIS –Earlier today in federal court, an owner of ATT Home Health Care, Inc., which provided general household services to clients, pleaded guilty to failing to account for and pay over to the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) federal income taxes and FICA contributions withheld from employee paychecks. Tony Nghia Nguyen specifically pleaded guilty to one count of failure to account for and pay over withheld taxes. Nguyen, who was indicted on August 1, 2011, entered his plea before U.S. District Court Judge David S. Doty.
In his plea agreement, Nguyen admitted that from July 1, 2006, through June 30, 2007, he failed to provide the IRS with the taxes withheld from employee pay or file the required tax forms, even though he was responsible for doing so. Those taxes included federal income taxes as well as FICA contributions, made up of social security or Medicare payments. As a result of Nguyen’s actions, the federal government, through the IRS, lost well in excess of $287,000 in income taxes and FICA payments due.
For his crime, Nguyen faces a potential maximum penalty of five years in federal prison. Judge Doty will determine his sentence at a future hearing, yet to be scheduled.
This case is the result of an investigation by the IRS Criminal Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Benjamin F. Langner and Robert M. Lewis.
Per U.S. Department of Justice policy, the U.S. Attorney’s Office is not allowed to provide the age and city of residence for defendants charged in criminal tax cases.
