Charges filed against leaders of Youngstown construction company
A 37-count indictment was filed today charging officials at a Youngstown construction and excavation company with conspiracy, making false statements and a variety of tax violations, said Steven M. Dettelbach, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio.
Scott Bonamase, age 47, of Streetsboro, Ohio, and David Bonamase, age 51, of Canfield, Ohio, conspired to avoid paying more than $279,000 in taxes, according to the indictment.
They were charged with for conspiracy, willful failure to collect or pay over tax, filing false tax returns and false statements to government agents in connection with their operation of A. Bonamase Contracting, Inc.
The indictment alleges that A. Bonamase Contracting, Inc. employed between 10 to 25 employees for the years 2006 through 2009. During that time period, Scott Bonamase willfully under-reported employee gross wages to the Internal Revenue Service and Scott and David Bonamase omitted payments to employees in the books and records of the company.
The indictment also alleges that A. Bonamase Contracting, Inc. had contracts with government agencies that required certified payroll reports to verify that they were paying the prevailing wage. Scott and David Bonamase willfully falsified, signed, and submitted certified payroll reports to the government. Scott and David Bonamase certified that their employees were being paid the prevailing when, in fact, they were paid less, according to the indictment.
The indictment is a result of an investigation conducted by the United States Department of Labor and Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of the Inspector General and the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation agents. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Henry F. DeBaggis and Special Assistant United States Attorney Perry D. Mastrocola.
If convicted, the defendants’ sentences will be determined by the court after review of factors unique to this case, including the defendants’ prior criminal records, if any, the defendants’ roles in the offense and the characteristics of the violation.
In all cases the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and in most cases it will be less than the maximum.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt.
A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
