South Florida Woman Pleads Guilty to Filing False Tax Returns

A resident of Islamorada, Florida, pleaded guilty today in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan to one count of filing a false tax return, Acting Assistant Attorney General Caroline D. Ciraolo of the Justice Department’s Tax Division announced today. 

Justina Black, 53, previously resided in Washington, Michigan.  Black is also known by the names Justina Kopek, Guistina Kopek and Justina Fazzolari.

According to court documents, Black operated a company called Justina Inc., which was in the business of buying and selling gold through “gold parties.”  At these parties, individuals sold gold to representatives of Justina Inc., which then sold the gold to another company.  Black caused corporate tax returns to be filed for Justina Inc. that did not report the full amount of gross receipts that the company received for the tax years 2009 and 2010.  On the 2008 through 2010 corporate tax returns for Justina Inc., Black also falsely claimed deductions relating to a property in Florida that was not an asset of the company.    

U.S. District Judge George C. Steeh set sentencing on March 31, 2016.  Black faces a statutory maximum sentence of three years in prison.  Under the terms of her plea agreement, Black is required to pay restitution to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

Acting Assistant Attorney General Ciraolo commended special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, who investigated the case, and Trial Attorneys Melissa S. Siskind and Jeffrey A. McLellan of the Tax Division, who are prosecuting the case.