New York State Commissioner of Taxation and Finance Thomas H. Mattox and Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman announced on Tuesday the arrest of Eli J. Strong, 50, of Petersburgh on three felony charges stemming from his failure to file personal income tax returns. Allegedly, the defendant owes nearly $40,000 for unfiled 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009 returns
[private]Strong was a construction subcontractor for local construction companies. He was arraigned Tuesday, April 8. in Albany City Court on charges of Criminal Tax Fraud in the Fourth Degree, a class E felony, in violation of Tax Law § 1803, and two counts of Repeated Failure to File Personal Income Tax Returns, also class E felonies, in violation of Tax Law § 1802(a).
“Our system of taxation relies on each of us to voluntarily comply with our tax responsibilities to fund vital local and statewide services,” said Commissioner Mattox. “Tax evasion is a crime, and we work closely with our law enforcement partners to ensure fairness for the millions of New Yorkers who meet their filing obligations every year.”
The charges against Strong are merely accusations, and he is presumed innocent until proven guilty. If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum sentence of one and one-third to four years of incarceration.[/private]