Baltimore Businessman Pleads Guilty to Employment Tax Crimes

A Baltimore businessman pleaded guilty today to willfully failing to account for and pay over employment taxes to the IRS.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Jonas Purisch operated two employee staffing companies, Titan Staffing Network, Inc. and Titan Services, LLC, which both provided workers for third-party manufacturing businesses in Maryland. Purisch owned the two companies and was responsible for their operations, including withholding and paying over to the IRS employment taxes on behalf of the employees. Between March 2018 and March 2021, Purisch withheld but did not pay over to the IRS more than $2 million in payroll taxes on behalf of the two companies’ employees. As part of his guilty plea, Purisch has agreed to pay more than $3.4 million in restitution to the IRS. This amount includes the employer’s share of the employment taxes Purisch owed to the IRS.

In April 2013, Purisch was convicted in the District of Maryland of filing a false individual income tax return and willful failure to file a tax return. He was sentenced to three months in prison.

Purisch is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 12. He faces a maximum of five years in prison for willful failure to account for and pay over employment taxes. He also faces a period of supervised release, restitution, and monetary penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron for the District of Maryland made the announcement.

IRS-Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.

Trial Attorney Michael C. Vasiliadis of the Tax Division is prosecuting the case.

Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Goldberg thanked the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland for its assistance in this matter.