A Jefferson resident and business owner faces up to $500,000 in fines and up to eight years imprisonment for tax evasion and impeding the Internal Revenue Service as a result of an Oct. 15 verdict from the U.S. District Court.
Shirley St. Pierre, 55, was found guilty on one count for federal tax evasion and one count for impeding the enforcement of IRS laws following a six day jury trial at the U.S. District Court in Portland.
As a document from U.S. District Attorney Richard Murphy stated in a recent press release, evidence at the trial showed that St. Pierre did not reflect the $460,000 on her 2002 income tax return, money that she earned through her business, the Staab Agency. This misrepresentation resulted in her not paying $183,000 in federal income tax. St. Pierre also gave the IRS false documentation during a 2003 audit, Murphy said.
For impeding the IRS during this audit, St. Pierre could face up to three years in prison and a $250,000 fine. For not telling the IRS she made $460,000 from her business, St. Pierre faces a possible five year prison sentence and a $250,000 fine. She may also be responsible for covering the prosecution’s court costs.
The Jefferson business owner was acquitted of two counts of tax evasion relating to her 2000 and 2001 tax returns, Murphy said.
St. Pierre will go before the Federal District Court in Portland for sentencing some time in February, Murphy said.
