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Press Release

Hunterdon County, N.J., Landscaper Admits Under-Reporting $1.38M In Income

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, District of New Jersey

NEWARK, N.J. – A Hunterdon County man who owns and operates P.H. Robinson Design and Landscaping Company Inc. (“P.H. Design”) today admitted under-reporting $1.38 million in money paid to his business by customers, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.

Paul Robinson, 45, of High Bridge, N.J., pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Katharine S. Hayden to an Information charging him with one count of filing a false tax return.

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

Robinson owned and operated P.H. Design, a landscaping business located in Scotch Plains, N.J. Despite maintaining several different bank accounts into which he deposited P.H. Design customer monies, Robinson only provided his accountant with records for one bank account. Robinson caused false corporate returns to be filed for P.H. Design for 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008, and caused false personal returns to be filed for 2006, 2007, and 2008. Under terms of the plea agreement, Robinson admitted to causing tax losses of $200,000 and $400,000.

On the false filing count, Robinson faces a maximum potential penalty of three years in prison and a fine of $100,000. Sentencing is scheduled for May 15, 2013.

Fishman credited special agents with IRS - Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Shantelle P. Kitchen, with the investigation leading to the guilty plea.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Mack of the Healthcare and Government Fraud Unit in Newark.

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Defense counsel: John P. McDonald Esq., Somerville, N.J.

Robinson Information

Updated August 20, 2015