Philadelphia-Area Political Consultant Pleads Guilty To Tax Evasion

PHILADELPHIA – A Philadelphia-area political consultant today admitted evading taxes on $393,359 in income from his consulting business, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.

William R. Miller V, 44, of Glenside, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Joel H. Slomsky to an information charging him with one count of federal tax evasion.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

Miller sought to evade federal income taxes by failing to file tax returns as required under federal law, and by concealing income when he finally did file returns, for tax years 2010 through 2014. During that time, Miller cashed numerous checks issued to him for his Philadelphia-area political consulting work and deposited only a portion of the proceeds into bank accounts. After learning of the IRS investigation, Miller tried to conceal his income in March 2016 by filing federal tax returns for 2010 through 2014, which themselves were false. In all, Miller attempted to evade taxes on $393,359 in personal income, resulting in a $94,233 tax loss to the IRS for tax years 2010 through 2014.

The tax evasion charge is punishable by a maximum potential penalty of five years in prison and a potential fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense. Sentencing is scheduled for Aug. 13, 2018.

U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, Philadelphia Field Office, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Guy Ficco; special agents of the FBI, Philadelphia Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael Harpster; and special agents of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigation (HSI) Philadelphia, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Marlon V. Miller, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea.

The U.S. Attorney in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania previously recused his office from an investigation involving former Philadelphia District Attorney Rufus Seth Williams, and supervision of that matter was assigned to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey. During that separate investigation, Miller’s tax evasion was discovered, and his prosecution is also being supervised by the District of New Jersey. Two prosecutors from the Eastern District of Pennsylvania are assigned to the case, subject to the supervision of the District of New Jersey.

The government is represented by Eric W. Moran, Chief of the Criminal Division-South of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, and Chief of Appeals Robert A. Zauzmer and Assistant U.S. Attorney Vineet Gauri of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

Defense counsel: Angie Halim Esq., Philadelphia