New Jersey Couple Sentenced for Failing to Pay Employment Taxes

WASHINGTON - James and Theresa Demuro of Bridgewater, N.J., were each sentenced by U.S. District Judge Garrett E. Brown Jr. to 51 months in prison, followed by three years supervised release, the Justice Department and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced today.  Judge Brown also ordered the Demuros to pay restitution to the IRS in the amount of $1,337,952.12.

The DeMuros were convicted following a jury trial that began on Nov. 9, 2010, of one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States and 21 counts of willfully failing to pay over employment taxes.  According to the indictment and evidence introduced during trial, the DeMuros co-owned and operated an engineering and surveying firm called TAD Associates LLC dba DeMuro Associates.  From 2002 through 2008, they withheld employment taxes from their employees’ paychecks but failed to pay approximately $546,247.39 in taxes to the IRS.  In addition, they operated under a prior entity name DA Resources Inc., which they ceased operating in an effort to thwart the ability of the IRS to collect unpaid employment taxes related to that entity.

At trial, the government introduced evidence that, beginning with the first quarter of 2007 through the last quarter in 2008, the defendants paid employees’ wages and withheld employment taxes from paychecks but did not pay any of the employee withholdings to the U.S. Treasury.  In addition, the DeMuros withheld funds from their employees’ pay checks for health insurance, child support and retirement savings accounts, and failed to pay these funds over to the appropriate entities. 

Evidence was also introduced that the Demuros converted withheld funds for their business and personal use, including more than $280,000 in purchases from QVC, Home Shopping Network and Jewelry Television.   

Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General John A. DiCicco of the Justice Department’s Tax Division commended the IRS Criminal Investigation special agents who investigated the case as well as Tax Division trial attorneys Tino M. Lisella and Jessica L. Nuzzelillo who prosecuted the case.  Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General DiCicco also thanked U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey Paul J. Fishman and his entire office for their assistance.