[box type=”info” color=”FFFFFF” font=”times” fontsize=”18″]“We are getting more and more information all the time about offshore banking activities,” said Assistant Attorney General Kathryn Keneally for the Tax Division. “We are committed to investigating and prosecuting those who continue to evade taxes and reporting requirements.” [/box]
ARIZONA – A California lawyer was sentenced Tuesday to 10 months in federal prison for helping his Phoenix, Arizona clients hide millions of dollars in secret offshore bank accounts in Switzerland, according to federal officials.
In February 2013, Attorney Christopher M. Rusch pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud the government and failing to file a Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts or FBAR, according to authorities.
Rusch helped his clients Stephen M. Kerr and Michael Quiel, both businessmen from Phoenix, hide money.
“We are getting more and more information all the time about offshore banking activities,” said Assistant Attorney General Kathryn Keneally for the Tax Division. “We are committed to investigating and prosecuting those who continue to evade taxes and reporting requirements. As these sentences show, those who fail to come into compliance risk high penalties and jail.”
In September, Kerr and Quiel were sentenced each to serve 10 months in prison. Both were tried and convicted of filing false income tax returns for 2007 and 2008, officials said.
The jury also convicted Kerr of failing to file FBARs for 2007 and 2008. Rusch testified at Kerr’s and Quiel’s trial that he and others caused the sale of the shares of stock through the secret accounts.
Rusch testified that he transferred some of the money in the secret accounts back to the U.S.through Rusch’s Lawyer’s Trust Account before dispersing the money for Kerr’s and Quiel’s benefit, including the purchase of a multi-million dollar golf course in Erie, Colo.
Court evidence showed that Kerr and Quiel failed to report more than $4.6 million and $2 million of income, respectively, during 2007 and 2008, which they hid with Rusch’s assistance.