"Mafia Cop" Author Sentenced to 18 Months in Prison for Felony Tax Offense
Las Vegas, Nev. – Louis Eppolito, author of the paperback book, "Mafia Cop," was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Roger L. Hunt to 18 months in prison and ordered to pay $102,108 in restitution to the IRS following his guilty plea to making and filing a false income tax return, announced Gregory A. Brower, United States Attorney for the District of Nevada.
Eppolito and his wife, Frances Eppolito, were indicted in the District of Nevada in January 2006 and charged with Making and Subscribing False Income Tax Returns. Frances Eppolito will be permitted to enter into a diversion agreement for the tax charges, while Louis Eppolito pled guilty to that offense in February 2008 pursuant to a plea agreement. In the plea agreement, the parties stipulated that on about April 13, 2001, Louis Eppolito and Frances Eppolito filed an individual income tax return for the calendar year 2000 reporting total income of $127,386.00, when they knew their true income for that year was $327,386.00. Additionally, Louis Eppolito failed to declare $130,000.00 in income in 2001 and $45,000.00 in income in 2002. The resulting tax loss to the IRS because of these omissions was $102,108.00.
Judge Hunt ordered that Eppolito receive credit for the time he has been detained in this case and in a separate case in the Eastern District of New York involving allegations of racketeering activities and other federal offenses. The case in the Eastern District of New York is currently before the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals.
The case was investigated by IRS Criminal Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Timothy Vasquez.
