A Canton man was sentenced to more than two years in prison and ordered to pay nearly $200,000 in restitution for tax violations, said Steven M. Dettelbach, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio, and Kathy Enstrom, Special Agent in Charge of the IRS' Cincinnati Field Office.
Frederick C. Berndt, 39, previously pleaded guilty to five counts. U.S. District Judge Donald C. Nugent sentenced Berndt to 25 months in prison and ordered him to pay $197,206 in restitution.
"This sentence serves as a message to those who would shirk their responsibilities to pay taxes," Dettelbach said.
“The privilege of living well in the United States carries certain responsibilities, one of which is the voluntary payment of taxes," Enstrom said. “IRS Criminal Investigation will vigorously investigate those individuals who knowingly and willfully evade their tax obligation."
Berndt, then chief executive officer of 11 Good Energy, Inc, evaded paying taxes in calendar years 2003, 2004 and 2006 and failed to file income taxes in years 2007 through 2010, according to court documents.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ann C. Rowland and former Assistand U.S. Attorney Justin J. Roberts following an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
