Leah B. Foley United States Attorney for the District of Massachusetts | Department of Justice
A former executive from Marlborough, Stephen L. Hochberg, has been charged with conspiracy to defraud the Internal Revenue Service and obstruction of justice. According to federal authorities, Hochberg has agreed to plead guilty in connection with a scheme that allowed him to receive over $1.6 million in compensation and benefits without reporting them as income.
Hochberg, 77, previously served as Director of Corporate Services at an accounting firm and Chief Operating Officer at a real estate firm operated by Charles D. Katz. Prosecutors allege that since at least 2014, Hochberg and Katz conspired for Hochberg to be paid off the books, enabling both parties to avoid taxes. The arrangement allegedly included payments to Hochberg’s family members, rent-free housing for his ex-wife, tuition payments for his children, and coverage of personal expenses through corporate credit cards.
The unreported compensation is said to total at least $1,668,487 with avoided taxes amounting to at least $835,105.
In addition to these allegations, authorities state that Hochberg lied about his income from Katz’s firms while under obligation to pay restitution stemming from a previous conviction. In 2008, he was found guilty on multiple counts of wire fraud and securities fraud and ordered to pay nearly $1.8 million in restitution after serving more than five years in prison.
Katz was also charged and pleaded guilty in October 2025; his sentencing is set for February 2, 2026.
Hochberg will make his initial court appearance on December 11, 2025. The charge of conspiracy carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison plus supervised release and fines; obstruction of justice could result in up to ten years’ imprisonment along with additional penalties.
"United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Thomas Demeo, Special Agent in Charge of Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston; and Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement." Assistant U.S. Attorney Kriss Basil is leading the prosecution.
Authorities emphasized that all details contained within the charging document are allegations: "The defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in the court of law."
