CHARLESTON, W.Va. - Christopher Daniels, 52, of Parkersburg, pleaded guilty today to filing a false federal income tax return, after reporting that his moving business had suffered losses when it had made a six-figure profit.
According to court documents and statements made in court, from at least 2013 through at least 2020, Daniels owned and operated Accedia Moving Services LLC. Daniels admitted that he falsely claimed or inflated business expenses to report a taxable income loss of $18,898 on his 2017 U.S. Individual Income Tax Return. Daniels admitted his business should have reported a profit of $187,771 for tax year 2017.
Daniels further admitted that he reported false information on his U.S. Individual Income Tax Return forms for tax years 2016 through 2019. Daniels reported taxable income losses totaling $164,491 for those tax years when he should have reported income totaling $410,459. The income taxes owed and due total $148,653.
Daniels admitted to failing to properly withhold $119,417.46 in employment taxes, including federal taxes and the employer-due portion of Social Security and Medicare taxes. Daniels also admitted to failing to pay $12,018 in West Virginia Workers’ Compensation premiums on those unreported wages.
Daniels admitted that the total amount of tax liability that he wrongly withheld from state and federal entities is approximately $280,088.
Daniels is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 15, 2022, and faces a maximum penalty of three years in prison, one year of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. Daniels also agreed that he owes $280,088 in restitution.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation.
Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver Jr. presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Kathleen Robeson is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:22-cr-126.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
