Former Utah CEO Pleads Guilty to Tax Evasion

A former CEO of a Salt Lake City, Utah company pleaded guilty yesterday to tax evasion, announced Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney John W. Huber for the District of Utah.

According to documents filed with the court, Peter Nordberg, 61, of Alameda, California, was the Chief Executive Officer of Max International, a company that produces and markets nutritional supplements directly and through independent associates and distributors. As an employee of Max International, Nordberg earned a salary and commissions equal to a percentage of sales. Nordberg caused Max International to pay his bonus income to a nominee entity he established, and used a bank account in the name of the nominee entity to pay personal expenses. Nordberg concealed the bonus income and nominee entity from his return preparer and filed false tax returns with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) that underreported his income. He admitted to causing a tax loss of approximately $275,000.

Sentencing is scheduled for Nov. 30 before U.S. District Court Judge Benson. Nordberg faces a statutory maximum sentence of five years in prison. He also faces a period of supervised release, restitution, and monetary penalties.

Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Goldberg and U.S. Attorney Huber thanked special agents of IRS Criminal Investigation, who conducted the investigation, and Tax Division Trial Attorney Matthew Hoffman and Assistant U.S. Attorney Ruth Hackford-Peer, who are prosecuting the case.

Additional information about the Tax Division’s enforcement efforts can be found on the division’s website.