Slap on the Wrist? Florida Millionaire Gets 1 Year Sentence for Tax Evasion — 6 Months House Arrest

Cover photo for illustrative purposes only. Photo by Pictures of Money | Flickr

​An announcement from Judge Wendy W. Berger with the U.S. Attorney's Office of the Middle District of Florida states that a millionaire from Apopka, Florida has officially been sentenced to 12 months of confinement for tax evasion that occurred over several years — 6 months of which will be served on house arrest.
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According to court documents, James Fabius King, also known by his alias Douglas Mesadieu, earned an income of $1,758,307 in 2013, for which he had federal income tax due and owed $546,479.

Between 2014 and 2017, King used nominee businesses to pay personal expenses and car payments on his $151,890 Audi R8 sports car. King also transferred the title of three luxury vehicles that he owned — an Aston Martin, Rolls Royce, and Bentley — into the name of a nominee business in an attempt to evade seizure of his assets to pay the tax debt.

“The dishonesty exhibited by the defendant is a clear violation of the laws we all abide by,” said Ron Loecker, Special Agent in Charge of IRS-Criminal Investigation’s Tampa Field Office. “While we may not always like it, we each have a responsibility to our country and ultimately to each other. We will not ignore attempts to cheat the tax system for personal gain.”

While only six months of the sentence will be house arrest, the other six months will be behind bars in a federal prison. According to international tax lawyers at Golding & Golding Lawyers, the average sentence for tax evasion is typically between three and 5 years. King was also ordered by the court to pay restitution in the amount of his $546,479 evaded tax debt.

This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service — Criminal Investigation Unit. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Chauncey A. Bratt.

Article by Rachael Volpe