United States Attorney Terrence Berg, joined by Internal Revenue Service Special Agent in Charge Maurice M. Aouate, announced today that Bloomfield Hills businessman Gary Heraud, 60, has been sentenced to 18 months in federal prison, followed by three years supervised release. United States District Court Judge Paul D. Borman also ordered Heraud to pay $197,809 in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service. The sentence resulted from a June 2009 guilty plea to two counts of tax evasion.
Heraud also pleaded guilty to a tax evasion charge in 1992. He was sentenced to one year in prison, which was suspended except for six months with conditions. The prison sentence was followed by 54 months of supervised release.
Berg stated, "Our system depends on the voluntary compliance of citizens with our shared responsibility to pay taxes. Prosecution of individuals who intentionally and willfully file false tax returns is a vital element in maintaining public confidence in our tax system."
"Cheating on your taxes is the same as stealing," said Aouate. "We should not expect the honest taxpayer to foot the bill for those who hide income from the IRS."
Sources: Internal Revenue Service, United States Attorney’s Office
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