Two people from Louisiana are currently ex-spouses and soon to be ex-attorneys. A pair of attorneys, and former husband and wife, plead guilty to failure to file their taxes for several years. They took cash payments for services rendered and failed to report those earnings to the government.
Here are the details according to the Department of Justice press release:
According to documents filed with the court, James Lynden Burton, 48, and his ex-wife, Lucretia Pecantte-Burton, 50, of New Iberia, Louisiana, are licensed attorneys and were partners of the law firm of Pecantte-Burton & Burton (PB&B). PB&B offered general legal services and representation and regularly received cash payments from clients for legal services rendered. They also had a partnership interest in a tax return preparation business. For tax years 2007, 2008 and 2009, Burton and Pecantte-Burton did not file individual income tax returns despite earning income from their law practice and the tax return preparation business. They filed delinquent returns after learning that they were under criminal investigation by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
Burton and Pecantte-Burton each face a statutory maximum sentence of 12 months in prison as well as a term of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties.
Failure to file can be considered a criminal tax matter in some cases. In the event you have have failed to file your tax returns, contact an experienced tax law firm, like Robert J. Fedor Esq., LLC. We can return you to compliance and peace of mind.
