Owner of Virginia Beach Tourist Attractions Sentenced for Tax Evasion

NORFOLK, Va. – David A. Parker, 49, of Virginia Beach, was sentenced today to 24 months in prison for evading income tax assessment and payment. Parker was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $1,070,358.26 and a fine of $50,000.

Parker pleaded guilty on Oct. 22, 2015.  According to court documents, 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.  Despite this meeting with the Revenue Officer, Parker continued to choose not to file his tax returns for the next several years.  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.

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 sentencing by U.S. District Judge Arenda L. Wright Allen.  Assistant U.S. Attorney V. Kathleen Dougherty prosecuted 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. 2:15-cr-113.