Owner of Virginia Beach Tourist Attractions Guilty of Tax Evasion

NORFOLK, Va. – David A. Parker, 49, of Virginia Beach, pleaded guilty today to evading income tax assessment and payment.

Parker is the owner of Rudee Inlet Jet Skis and Adventure Parasail, Inc. – two companies that are in the business of providing jet ski rentals and parasailing tours at the Virginia Beach oceanfront to tourists and residents.  During the relevant timeframe, Parker was also a partner in Duck Parasail, Inc., located in Duck, North Carolina, which provided similar services.  In a statement of facts filed with the plea agreement, Parker admitted that from 2005 until 2011, he completely failed to file individual federal income tax returns and, also declined to file business income tax returns after 2007.  For several years, Parker ignored attempts by the Internal Revenue Service to recoup his tax balance.  In February 2012, an IRS Revenue Officer – again attempting to recover Parker’s outstanding tax balance – interviewed Parker about his failure to file individual income tax returns and his current finances.  Parker failed to disclose all of his assets to the officer and maintained that he had little money, thus could not pay his tax balance.  In the weeks after his meeting with the revenue officer, and rather than repay any portion of his tax balance, Parker traveled to casinos in Florida and Atlantic City, where he purchased nearly $50,000 in chips.  The combined tax due and owing resulting from Parker’s failure to file individual and business income tax returns for tax years 2005 through 2011 is over $1 million.

Parker faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison when sentenced on March 4, 2016. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; and Thomas Jankowski, Special Agent in Charge, Washington D.C. Field Office, IRS-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), made the announcement after the plea was accepted by U.S. District Judge Arenda L. Wright Allen.  Assistant U.S. Attorney V. Kathleen Dougherty is prosecuting the case.

A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.  Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:15cr113.

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