Boston jury convicts Miami CPA on tax fraud charges

A federal jury in Boston has convicted a Miami CPA on multiple counts of tax fraud and obstructing the Internal Revenue Service, but he is vowing to appeal.

Greg Takesian, 53, was convicted Tuesday after a five-day jury trial on four counts of filing false tax returns and one count of attempting to obstruct and impede the IRS. U.S. District Court Judge William G. Young has scheduled him to be sentenced in February.

Takesian operated Takesian & Co., a tax consulting firm owned by his father. While he ran the day-to-day business, he did not have an ownership stake in the firm. Between 2008 and 2011, the firm received more than $2 million for tax and consulting services from At Home VNA, a home health company in Waltham, Mass.

Prosecutors said the younger Takesian spent more than $991,000 from the firm’s bank account on personal expenses, including cash and check payments to his wife and girlfriend. In total, Takesian gave his wife more than $500,000 from the firm’s account and his girlfriend over $200,000 of funds from the firm. He also spent the money on Caribbean cruises, expensive clothing and nightclubs. After he heard he was being investigated, prosecutors said Takesian filed false corporate and personal amended tax returns to cover up the nearly $1 million in unreported income.

He faces up to three years in prison, one year of supervised release, and a fine of $100,000 on each count.

“We’re appealing the verdict, and until all my legal rights have been adjudicated, we’re going to continue the fight,” he told Accounting Today.

IRS-Building-light
The IRS headquarters building in Washington, D.C.

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