Press Release
Wisconsin Produce Vendor Corporate Officer Indicted for Tax Evasion, Failing to File Corporate Tax Returns and Structuring
For Immediate Release
Office of Public Affairs
A federal grand jury in Madison, Wisconsin indicted a Johnson Creek, Wisconsin produce vendor corporate officer today for tax evasion, failure to file a corporate tax return, and structuring currency transactions, announced Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Acting U.S. Attorney Jeffrey M. Anderson for the Western District of Wisconsin.
According to the indictment, during the relevant timeframe, Thomas G. Paine was the Vice President and Treasurer of G.W. Paine Inc., which sold fresh fruit and other produce under the business name Tree Ripe Citrus Company. Paine was allegedly responsible for the finance and tax aspects of the company. The indictment alleges that Paine failed to file corporate tax returns with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) for 2010 through 2012 and attempted to evade the taxes due and owing by G.W. Paine Inc. According to the indictment, Paine concealed the company’s income by structuring cash deposits so they were made in amounts less than $10,000 in order to evade the bank’s reporting requirements. Banks are required to file reports with the U.S. Treasury for cash deposits exceeding $10,000. These reports include the identity of the person who conducted the transaction. The indictment alleges that from 2012 through 2013, Paine structured more than $400,000.
An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed. Defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
If convicted, Paine faces a statutory maximum sentence of five years in prison for each of the tax evasion counts, one year in prison for each of the failure to file counts and 10 years in prison for each of the structuring counts.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Goldberg and Acting U.S. Attorney Anderson commended special agents of the IRS Criminal Investigation, who conducted the investigation, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Altman and Trial Attorney Eric C. Schmale of the Tax Division, who are prosecuting the case.
Additional information about the Tax Division and its enforcement efforts may be found on the division’s website.
Updated February 5, 2025
Topic
Tax
Component