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Small Business Owner Sentenced For Seven-Year Tax Evasion Scheme

Small Business Owner Sentenced For Seven-Year Tax Evasion Scheme

A small business owner based in the Boston, Massachusetts area has been sentenced for a seven-year tax evasion scheme.

Robert Brainard, of Weymouth, who formerly owned Got Pavement Needs, Inc. pleaded guilty to one count of tax evasion on July 25, 2022. 

On October 17, 2022, U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin sentenced the guilty party to one year and one day in prison and one year of supervised release. Brainard, 52, was was also ordered to pay $784,799 in restitution to the United States government.

According to an official release from the IRS, Brainard engaged in a scheme to underreport his earnings on his personal tax returns between 2014 and 2021. He evaded $593,993 in taxes.

Furthermore, per the tax agency, to cover-up his criminal behavior, Brainard transferred ownership of his company in a straw sale. However, he retained control of the paving company's operations and income.

Brainard paid his employees off-the-books in cash, so he also evaded employment taxes. 

Got Pavement Needs maintains a Facebook page, but it has not been updated since 2015.

This case was resolved as the IRS prepares for a major revamp -- thanks to an additional $80 billion in funding -- that will specifically see the agency focus on targeting white collar tax evaders, like late billionaire Robert Brockman who passed away before his trial could begin.

What do you think about the Brainard case?

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Rebekah Barton

Rebekah Barton

Rebekah's search engine optimization career began completely by accident as a college student. Over the course of her career so far, she has "grown up" with the SEO industry, from writing content while juggling classes to managing her own teams of writers and overseeing SEO strategy in subsequent roles. She is excited to bring her passion for high-quality content to CountingWorks, Inc.

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