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NEWARK, N.J. – A Middlesex County, N.J., man who co-owns and operates a wholesale adult paraphernalia business in New York City today admitted concealing more than a million dollars in income in various domestic and foreign bank accounts, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.
Sameer Gupta, 33, of Edison, N.J., pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Patty Shwartz in Newark to an Information charging him with one count of tax evasion in connection with his diverting funds from the wholesale merchandise business, J.S. Marketers Inc. Some of the diverted funds were deposited and held in undisclosed foreign accounts at HSBC in India.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Gupta is a 50 percent owner of J.S. Marketers Inc., which sold adult paraphernalia to large adult-store chains and smaller retail video stores and bodegas. From 2006 through 2009, Gupta diverted $822,916 of J.S. Marketer business receipts into 17 different personal bank accounts held in the names of various individuals, including himself, his wife, identified only as “A.G.,” and his daughter, identified as “D.G.” He directed more than $250,000 of those diverted funds into six different accounts held offshore at a branch of HSBC in India. From 2007 through 2009, Gupta caused 22 J.S. Marketers corporate checks to be made payable to himself, or his father, identified as “J.G.,” in amounts identical to invoices from J.S. Marketers’ suppliers. Gupta endorsed those checks, which totaled $375,138, and deposited them into bank accounts that he controlled. Gupta filed individual income tax returns for the years 2006 through 2009 that did not report his income arising from the diverted J.S. Marketers funds.
Gupta evaded taxes on $1,198,054 in income for 2006 through 2009. He also failed to file Reports of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts, (FBARs), for 2005 through 2008. As part of his plea agreement, Gupta has agreed to pay a one-time FBAR penalty of $259,045. The tax loss resulting from Gupta’s conduct is greater than $200,000 but less than $400,000.
Gupta faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a fine of $250,000 or twice his gain from the offense, together with the costs of prosecution. Gupta agreed to file true and accurate tax returns and to pay to the IRS all taxes and penalties owed, in addition to the $259,045 penalty imposed for his failure to disclose the foreign accounts. Judge Shwartz scheduled sentencing for June 13, 2013, before U.S. District Court Judge Faith Hochberg.
U.S. Attorney Fishman credited special agents with IRS-Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Shantelle P. Kitchen in Newark, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Mack of the U.S. Attorney’s Healthcare and Government Fraud Unit and Trial Attorney Michael C. Vasiliadis of the Department of Justice Tax Division.
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Defense counsel: Kevin H. Marino Esq., Chatham, N.J.