Date: December 8, 2021 Contact: newsroom@ci.irs.gov Newport News, VA — A Newport News commercial fisherman was sentenced today to 15 months in prison for evading payment of his federal income taxes for nearly a decade. According to court documents, from 2006 to 2016, Alfredo Loya, Jr. a commercial fisherman, worked as an independent contractor for a number of fishing companies in the Hampton Roads region and elsewhere. Loya failed to file tax returns from 2006 to 2008 and 2014 to 2016. He filed returns from 2011 to 2013 but did not pay the tax owed. Court records show that Loya failed to make payments to the IRS towards his assessed tax balances for tax years 2006, 2007, 2008, 2011, and 2013, despite being advised by the IRS and his accountant to do so. The combined tax, interest, and penalties for these tax years total approximately $148,026. Loya further failed to file Federal Tax Returns for tax years 2014, 2015, and 2016, despite being aware of his obligation to report income and pay taxes on that income. The tax due for these tax years totals approximately $90,940. Loya is attributed with an overall tax loss of approximately $238,967. Loya took various steps to avoid his assessed tax balances. He dealt heavily in cash. From about January 1, 2012, through about December 31, 2016, he cashed 71 paychecks made payable to him from fishing companies, totaling approximately $840,400. Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Darrell J. Waldon, Special Agent in Charge, Washington, D.C. Field Office, IRS-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Rebecca Beach Smith. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Samuels prosecuted the case.
