Chicago Businessman Pleads Guilty to Failing to File Tax Returns

Jaime Viteri, a Chicago businessman, pleaded guilty to two counts of willfully failing to file federal individual income tax returns today, announced the Justice Department and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

On June 12, a criminal information was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois that alleged Viteri had willfully failed to file individual income tax returns for tax years 2007, 2008 and 2009. According to the plea agreement filed with the district court, Viteri earned and received gross income from his work as the president and chief executive officer of Viteri Inc., doing business as Chicago Latino Network (CLN), a solely owned media company focused on the Latino community in Chicago. Viteri was also an employee and managing director of the Bureau of Entrepreneurship and Small Business at the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, an Illinois state government agency.

Viteri’s gross income from his employment exceeded approximately $270,000 for the 2008 tax year and $290,000 for the 2009 tax year. During these years, Viteri was required to file individual income tax returns and report the gross income he earned. Despite earning and receiving gross income from two different sources, Viteri willfully failed to file individual income tax returns with the IRS for tax years 2008 and 2009 as required by law. Under the terms of the plea agreement, Viteri also agrees to pay restitution to the IRS.

Sentencing is scheduled for Nov. 5, 2014. Viteri faces a statutory maximum sentence of one year in prison per count, one year of supervised release per count and a maximum fine of $100,000 per count.

The case was investigated by special agents from IRS-Criminal Investigation and prosecuted by Trial Attorney Christopher Maietta of the Justice Department’s Tax Division.

Additional information about the Tax Division and its enforcement efforts may be found at the division website .