As a result of the successful implementation of that plan, and to hide the undeclared funds from the IRS, Seggerman, who, together with three of his siblings, was an executor of his father’s estate, signed a tax return for his father’s estate that falsely under-reported the gross assets of the businessman father’s estate. In particular, the estate tax return fraudulently failed to report over $5 million left to the businessman father’s wife and over $7.5 million to be split among five of his children.
In addition, the Swiss lawyer thereafter assisted Seggerman’s siblings, including Suzanne Seggerman, Yvonne Seggerman, and Edmund Seggerman, in setting up undeclared Swiss bank accounts to hold the money left to them by their father.
Seggerman assisted his brother in surreptitiously transferring funds from the brother’s Swiss account to a bank account for a foundation controlled by Seggerman, who thereafter filtered the funds to the brother in the United States, labeling the transfer as “loans.”
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said: “Henry Seggerman and three of his siblings inherited and continued a family tax fraud scheme.
We will continue to aggressively investigate and prosecute U.S. taxpayers, and those that assist them, in evading their obligations by hiding money in secret offshore accounts.”
Seggerman, 60, of New York, New York, and Los Angeles, California, pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States, one count of subscribing to a false and fraudulent estate tax return, and one count of aiding and assisting in the preparation of false tax returns for his brother. He faces a total maximum sentence of 11 years in prison.
In addition, Seggerman agreed as part of his guilty plea to make a paymentof approximately $600,000 at the time of his sentencing, in partial satisfaction of the ultimate restitution obligation he faces at sentencing.
Suzanne Seggerman, Yvonne Seggerman, and Edmund Seggerman each previously pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States, and two counts of subscribing to false and fraudulent tax returns. Each faces a maximum sentence of 11 years in prison.
Source:
US Attorney's Office
Read more at: Tax Times blog