Chesapeake Man Pleads Guilty to Tax Fraud
NORFOLK, Va. – Thomas W. Sawyer, 43, of Chesapeake, VA, pleaded guilty today in Norfolk federal court to two counts of filing a false tax return.
Neil H. MacBride, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, made the announcement after Sawyer’s plea was accepted by United States District Judge Mark S. Davis. Sawyer will be sentenced on November 20, 2012, and faces up to six years in prison.
According to court documents, Sawyer was formerly employed by Dollar Tree, Inc., and traveled to China procure goods to be sold in Dollar Tree’s stores. During his trips there, Sawyer received gratuities from the Chinese manufacturers in exchange for choosing their products. Sawyer brought this additional income into the United States and never declared it on his income tax returns, though he was legally required to do so. Over a period of four years, Sawyer failed to report in excess of $1.4 million in income and owes the United States just over $400,000 in unpaid income taxes.
This case was investigated by Special Agents of the Internal Revenue Service and the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement Division. Assistant United States Attorney Joseph L. Kosky is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/vae. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.vaed.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.uspci.uscourts.gov.
