East Hartford Man Pleads Guilty to Tax Evasion

Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and William P. Offord, Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation in New England, announced that SHAUKAT G. DALAL, also known as Shaukathusein Dalal, 55, of East Hartford, waived his right to indictment and pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to one count of tax evasion.

According to court documents and statements made in court, DALAL was employed by the State of Connecticut as a Fiscal Administration Assistant, and also owned and operated a separate tax preparation business, Tax Preparation SVS Inc.  For the 2009 through 2011 tax years, DALAL, who had prepared more than 250 tax returns as part of the tax preparation business, did not deposit all of the gross receipts from the business into his business bank account and subsequently understated his gross receipts on his federal tax returns.

DALAL and his wife also owned Ameen LLC, a holding company that owned 25 rental units in an East Hartford condominium complex.  DALAL performed virtually all of the work for the real estate business, including collecting rent receipts, pricing the units, organizing repairs and maintenance, depositing rent receipts, paying the bills and maintaining the books and records.  DALAL did not deposit a substantial portion of rent receipts, often paid to him in cash, into Ameen LLC’s business bank account and substantially underreported both the applicable income and taxes due and owing on his 2009 through 2011 federal tax returns.

Judge Underhill scheduled sentencing for February 24, 2016, at which time DALAL faces a maximum term of imprisonment of five years and a fine of up to $250,000.  DALAL also has agreed to pay $97,289 in back taxes, plus applicable penalties and interest.

This case has been investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher W. Schmeisser.