Former New Hampshire Construction Company Owner Pleads Gulty To Tax Evasion

          WASHINGTON – A Hill, New Hampshire, man pleaded guilty today to three counts of tax evasion in the U.S. District Court in the District of New Hampshire, announced Acting Assistant Attorney General Caroline D. Ciraolo of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Acting U.S. Attorney Donald Feith of the District of New Hampshire.

          Ronald Martin formerly owned and operated Martin Construction in Northfield, New Hampshire, and employed between three to eight individuals at various times.  In 2008, 2009 and 2010, Martin’s business earned a total of approximately $1.2 million in gross revenue, but Martin did not file any federal corporate or individual income tax returns for Martin Construction or for himself and did not pay any federal income tax in any of those years.  Martin took steps to conceal the business revenue by directing that payments and invoices for selling scrap metal be made in the name of his nephew.  He also only deposited a small fraction of the income earned from Martin Construction into the business’ bank account.  Instead, he diverted a significant portion of the business income for personal expenditures.  In addition to failing to file tax returns and to pay individual and business income taxes, Martin also failed to file any federal employment tax returns or pay over to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) any federal employment taxes for any of his employees.

          A federal grand jury in the District of New Hampshire indicted Martin on three counts of tax evasion in July 2014.  Martin faces a statutory maximum sentence of five years in prison and a fine of $250,000 on each tax evasion count.  Martin’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for Oct. 20.  Martin currently is detained on unrelated pending state criminal charges.

          Acting Assistant Attorney General Ciraolo and Acting U.S. Attorney Feith commended the special agents of IRS–Criminal Investigation, who investigated the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark S. Zuckerman of the District of New Hampshire and Senior Litigation Counsel Corey J. Smith of the Tax Division, who are prosecuting the case.