Contractor Pleads Guilty To Filing False Tax Returns

CONTACT:  Barbara Burns

PHONE:         (716) 843-5817

FAX #:            (716) 551-3051

ROCHESTER, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Jason Bassett, 43, of  Rochester, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Wolford to filing a false tax return. The charge carries a maximum penalty of three years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard A. Resnick, who is handling the case, stated that the defendant owned and operated a paving and sealing company, which provided both personal and commercial sealing and paving services in the Rochester area. After receiving payment for services provided by the business, Bassett failed to deposit all of the income into the business bank account. The defendant would cash some business checks but never place them into the banking system. Also, Bassett did not advise his tax return preparer that he had cashed numerous business checks. As a result, the defendant knowingly caused the preparation of false personal income tax returns, Forms 1040, which failed to report the income that he did not deposit into the business bank account.

For the tax years 2012 through 2015, Bassett failed to report approximately $1,704,873.89 in income on his tax returns, which resulted in the defendant failing to pay approximately $378,331 in taxes to the Internal Revenue Service.

In addition, Bassett failed to withhold taxes from the wages of his employees, did not provide his employees W-2 forms, and did not report this on any other return required to be filed with the Internal Revenue Service.

The plea is the result of an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigations Division, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Jonathan D. Larsen, New York Field Office.

Sentencing is scheduled for January 29, 2020, at 3:00 p.m. before Judge Wolford.

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