MATAWAN – A Monmouth County man has admitted to hiding his business and the money he made from it.
Thomas Bertoli, 65, of Matawan, pleaded guilty to one count of corrupt interference with the administration of the Internal Revenue laws.
Bertoli operated the following businesses: The Doormen Inc.; City Street Associates LLC aka CSA LLC; and Urban Logistics LLC (Urban Logistics).
Through these companies and individually, Bertoli received payments from clients for services which included payments from developers and construction firms for expediting services on real estate development and construction projects, as well as payments from political campaigns for political consulting services in New Jersey.
On June 5, 2014, an IRS collections officer interviewed Bertoli at his home due to Bertoli not filing tax returns between 2009 to 2013, despite earning income. As a result, he owed a total of $195,889 in taxes for those years.
According to authorities, Bertoli was earning income from his company Urban Logistics of which he was the only employee. However, Bertoli falsely claimed that he was employed as a construction worker at a construction company to conceal the existence of Urban Logistics and the income that he earned from it.
Officials said between June 2014 and November 2015, Bertoli was aware of certain actions taken by the IRS to collect taxes that he owed. This included applying levies and requiring that he make an estimated tax payment for calendar 2014.
During this time, Bertoli continued to purposefully conceal the existence of Urban Logistics and that he was earning substantial income from it.
The charge of corrupt interference with the administration of the Internal Revenue laws carries a maximum potential penalty of three years in prison and a maximum $250,000 fine.
If accepted by the court at the time of sentencing, Bertoli will be sentenced to up to 18 months in prison and make full restitution of $1.17 million to the IRS for unpaid taxes for calendar years 2009 to 2016. Sentencing is scheduled for February 7, 2023.
U.S. Attorney Philip Sellinger credited special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Tammy Tomlins, and special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy in Newark with the investigation.
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