State Employee Pleads Guilty to Tax Evasion

Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and William Offord, Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation in New England, today announced that AJMAL JENKINS, 39, of Middletown, pleaded guilty yesterday in New Haven federal court to one count of tax evasion.

This matter stems from an Internal Revenue Service investigation into State of Connecticut employees and others who had little or no federal withholding taken out of their paychecks and who failed to file income tax returns.  The investigation revealed that certain individuals submitted fraudulent W-4 forms claiming numerous exemptions, or that they were exempt, and had little or no money withheld from their wages.

According to court documents and statements made in court, JENKINS has been employed by the State of Connecticut’s Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services for approximately 15 years as a mental health assistant at the Connecticut Valley Hospital.  During the 2009 through 2013 tax years, JENKINS paid little or no federal income taxes on approximately $353,565 in income he received, resulting in a federal tax loss of approximately $52,549.

JENKINS will be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Alvin W. Thompson in Hartford.  He faces a maximum term of imprisonment of five years, a fine of up to $250,000, and is required to pay all back taxes, plus interest and penalties.

This case is being investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Susan Wines.