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Ronald S. Battaglia, owner of Custom Painting, was also sentenced to one year of supervised release on Friday by U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in Bridgeport.
According to court documents and statements made in court, during the 2008 through 2012 tax years, Battaglia failed to provide his tax return preparer with information concerning $867,656 in gross receipts.
The total tax reported as due on the five returns was $46,687, but Battaglia willfully failed to report and pay an additional $277,582 in federal income taxes for those five years.
An investigation revealed that his clients typically paid him by check. Battaglia then cashed the checks at his bank and received cash for the full value of the check, or he made a split deposit, receiving some cash and depositing the balance into his business account.
The amounts of the transactions were typically less than $10,000.
On July 20, Battaglia pleaded guilty to one count of filing a false tax return. He has paid the IRS $277,582 in restitution.
He is still required to pay more than $250,000 in penalties and interest that have accrued on his unpaid taxes.
This matter was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter S. Jongbloed.
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