Former State Representative Erik Fresen Sentenced for Failing to File Tax Return

Erik Fresen, a resident of Miami-Dade County, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Robert N. Scola to one year of probation with 60 days of intermittent confinement in the Bureau of Prisons for failing to file a tax return for tax year 2011.  Fresen was ordered to report to the Bureau of Prisons in mid-November, December, January, and February to serve 15 days of imprisonment each month.

Benjamin G. Greenberg, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and Kelly R. Jackson, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), made the announcement.

Fresen previously pled guilty to a one count information charging him with failing to file a tax return, in violation of 26 U.S.C. § 7203, for tax year 2011.  In pleading guilty to the information, Fresen admitted that he had also failed to pay taxes in the amount of $30,324 on the income he received in 2011 that was not reported to the IRS.

During the court proceedings, Fresen acknowledged that he had also failed to file tax returns with the IRS for tax years 2007 through 2013 and that he had failed to pay federal income taxes in the amount of $214,766 that were due and owing on his unreported income.

At the time of sentencing, Fresen had paid in full all of the outstanding taxes with interest that he owed for tax years 2007 through 2015.  Fresen remains subject to penalties to be imposed by the IRS for his failure to timely file his tax returns.

Mr. Greenberg commended the investigative efforts of the IRS-CI.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Harold E. Schimkat and Michael N. Berger.

Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.