Ithaca Man Sentenced to Five Years of Probation for Filing a False Tax Return

SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – William Harrell, age 58, of Ithaca, New York, was sentenced yesterday to five years of probation for filing a false tax return, announced Acting United States Attorney Antoinette T. Bacon and Jonathan D. Larsen, Special Agent in Charge of Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, New York Field Office.

As part of his previous guilty plea, Harrell admitted that in October 2016, he filed a tax return for the year 2015 in which he knowingly and willfully underreported revenue he received through his construction and remodeling business. Harrell also admitted to underreporting revenue for the years 2012-14, and 2016.  Harrell failed to report approximately $3,994,866 in income, as result of which he avoided paying $422,843 in federal incomes taxes.

The court also ordered Harrell to pay restitution to the IRS in the amount of $907,669.75, which included unpaid taxes, interest, and penalties.

This case was investigated by Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Sutcliffe.