The owner of a Guilford landscaping business is facing possible prison time in connection with a tax-evasion scheme.
Louis Pocograno, 58, of Guilford, waived his right to indictment and entered a guilty plea Friday to one count of tax evasion before U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport.
Attorney Michael Dolan of Hamden, who represents Pocograno, said of his client, “Mr. Pocograno has taken steps to rectify his transgression.”
“He is a hard-working man who made a mistake,” Dolan added.
Pocograno is scheduled to be sentenced on June 14. While the charge carries a maximum penalty of five years of imprisonment, a plea agreement shows sentencing guidelines call for a sentence in the range of 18 to 24 months, and a fine of $5,500 to $55,000.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s office, Pocograno has agreed to pay the Internal Revenue Service $33,383 in restitution, which represents income tax due for the 2013 through 2016 tax years. He will also pay an additional $250,364, which represents employment tax due for those years, plus interest and penalties.
The judge also may impose a term of supervised release following Pocograno’s prison sentence of up to three years.
Pocograno owns Poco & Son Lawn Care, LLC of Guilford, which does general yard work, mowing, landscaping, leaf removal and snowplowing.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas P. Morabito is prosecuting the case. According to federal prosecutors, Pocograno cashed numerous checks from his landscaping clients that were made payable to him rather than his business, and then didn’t report this income to the IRS. Pocograno reportedly did this between 2013 and 2016.
Pocograno also used a portion of the cash to pay undocumented workers he employed, and failed to collect and pay over the employment taxes for these employees, according to the government.
The IRS’ Criminal Investigation Division investigated the case.
Contact Michelle Tuccitto Sullo at msullo@newhavenbiz.com
