El Dorado Hills Man Indicted On Three Counts Of Tax Evasion

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a sealed three-count indictment on February 27, 2014, against Kamyar Soltani, 45, of El Dorado Hills, charging him with attempted tax evasion, United States Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner announced. The pending indictment was unsealed today.

Soltani was arrested on Monday, March 3, 2014. He was arraigned and pleaded not guilty. He was released on a $100,000 bond.

According to IRS-Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge José M. Martinez, “All Americans have a duty to pay their fair share. The prosecution of individuals who intentionally conceal income and evade taxes is a vital element in maintaining public confidence in our tax system. We should not expect the honest taxpayer to foot the bill for those who hide income from the IRS."

According to court documents, Soltani attempted to evade his tax obligations for the tax years of 2005, 2006, and 2007. In each of those years, Soltani received income subject to taxation of well-over $200,000, and failed to file timely income tax returns for the tax years of 2005 and 2006. He ultimately filed tax returns for all three tax years in March 2008, but those returns were false; the resulting tax due and owing over three years totaled more than $150,000. Moreover, as alleged in the indictment, Soltani attempted to evade the proper assessment of his tax obligations by, among other things: receiving compensation in cash; having his compensation paid directly to, or in the names of, nominees, family members, and a creditor; concealing his income in his parents’ bank account; and filing three false tax returns in March 2008.

This case was the product of an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Nirav Desai is prosecuting the case.

If convicted, Soltani faces a maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison and a $100,000 fine on each count in the indictment. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.