It's a two hour drive southwest of Cleveland that takes you to the stomping ground of former Ohio representative Michael Fox. The Butler County icon was indicted back in 2009 on charges that he illegally received money from a fiber optics firm and then failed to report the income on his federal tax return.
Nearly five years have passed since he pleaded guilty to filing a false income tax return and conspiracy to commit wire fraud. As part of an agreement with prosecutors, he was sentenced to four years in prison.
Now out of prison and released from home confinement as well, Fox recently told an Ohio newspaper a bit about life behind bars. He told the paper that he lost 100 pounds during his incarceration but that he gained about 40 pounds back.
While he was on a roller coaster of weight loss and gain, he said many inmates are on a steady downward slide. He told the paper that prison life offers too few opportunities for inmates to improve themselves and acquire skills needed to succeed in life outside of prison. Instead, inmates are more hardened than when they went in.
“It’s a criminal factory," Fox said. "It creates criminals.”
Few people want to make the journey Fox has taken through the criminal justice and penal systems. It's why it's crucial to speak with an experienced tax attorney at the first sign of a criminal inquiry.
A failure to report income and filing a false tax return can result in serious charges that carry severe penalties. Please see our Effective Defense Against Failure To File Charges page for more information about how Robert J. Fedor, Esq., L.L.C. can help you.
