A Fort Myers accountant could spend years behind bars for tax evasion.
Ronald St. Clair has pleaded guilty to evading more than $2.2 million in income taxes and penalties owed to the Internal Revenue Service.
He faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison, along with having to pay restitution and penalties. His sentencing is scheduled for July 13.
Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the U.S. Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe for the Middle District of Florida announced the guilty plea on April 9. It followed a grand jury indictment in 2023.
According to court records, St. Clair began to accumulate tax debt after an IRS audit, which required him to amend his tax returns for the years 2011 to 2013. As a result of the audit, he owed more than $278,704 to the IRS, including penalties and interest.
For the years 2014 to 2017, he owed more than $424,000.
With penalties and interest, the debt owed to the IRS grew to more than $1.6 million, and it has continued to climb.
After the IRS began its formal collection efforts by attempting to seize property or income in 2020, St. Clair admitted to trying to hide assets to avoid payment.
One way he tried to hide his assets: St. Clair sold a property in Cape Coral for $250,000, then transferred the money from a bank account he controlled to one held in a different name, never reporting the proceeds as income to the IRS.
Despite the bank transfer, St. Clair maintained control over the money, later admitting that he spent it on personal and business-related expenses, while not disclosing it to the IRS.
The plea agreement does not include information on all the events and people involved in the criminal case.
A federal district court judge will determine St. Clair’s sentence. The amount of restitution, which is still growing with interest, will be determined at sentencing. As of February, the debt owed to the IRS topped $2.26 million.
Federal prosecutors are recommending a lighter sentence based on St. Clair’s acceptance of responsibility for his fraudulent and intentional actions.
The IRS-Criminal Investigation division, in conjunction with the U.S. Justice Department, is highlighting the case as part of a crackdown on tax evasion, especially by wealthy taxpayers.
According to the U.S. Department of the Treasury, the IRS has collected more than $1.1 billion in past-due taxes from millionaires since early 2024, using funds from the Inflation Reduction Act.
Laura Layden is a business and government reporter. Reach her by email at laura.layden@naplesnews.com.
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This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Fort Myers accountant pleads guilty to evading taxes, now owes $2.2M
Reporting by Laura Layden, Fort Myers News-Press & Naples Daily News / Fort Myers News-Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
