Allentown Lawyer Sentenced to Prison for Tax Fraud

Reading, PA – U.S. Attorney William M. McSwain announced that Douglas M. Marinos, 56, a licensed attorney, was sentenced on June 22 to serve one year in federal prison for tax fraud. 

On January 18, 2018, Marinos pled guilty to one count of willfully failing to collect, truthfully account for, and pay over to the United States taxes owed by his Allentown law firm. He was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey L. Schmehl.

From 2008 to 2015, Marinos misrepresented to his firm’s employees that money he had withheld from their paychecks had been paid to the IRS to fund their Social Security and Medicare contributions.

In total, Marinos failed to pay $229,548.92 in required payroll taxes on behalf of his firm.

“When he entered the practice of law, the defendant swore to ‘obey and defend’ the laws of Pennsylvania and the United States,” said U.S. Attorney McSwain. “Instead, the defendant abused the trust placed in him by his employees and broke the law by using this money to pay his own creditors.”

The case was investigated by the IRS Criminal Investigation Division and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sean P. McDonnell.