Politics & Government

Reston Man Pleads Guilty to Tax Evasion

Owed more than $670,000 to IRS.

Michael Gerard Chauvin, 57, of Reston pleaded guilty Tuesday to engaging in a nine-year tax evasion scheme that prevented the IRS from collecting more than $670,000 owed. 

Chauvin pled guilty to tax evasion and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison when he is sentenced on Sept. 23. 

According to a statement of facts filed with his plea agreement, Chauvin owned landscaping businesses and provided real estate development consulting services from 1978 through 2007.  In May and June 1997, the IRS assessed Chauvin with $402,369.92 in unpaid payroll taxes associated with his landscaping businesses.

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Chauvin admitted that from 1997 through Sept. 20, 2006, he took a number of steps to evade paying the taxes, including depositing business income into his wife’s bank account and placing his real estate consulting business in his wife’s name; quit-claiming his residence to his wife, which prevented the IRS from receiving payment when the home sold for approximately $2 million; purchasing multiple investment properties in his wife’s name; and substantially understating his monthly income in forms provided to the IRS.

He admitted in court that the total tax loss resulting from his efforts to evade the payment of the 1997 payroll taxes he owed the IRS is $671,028.06.

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