Date: December 17, 2021 Contact: newsroom@ci.irs.gov Leonard C Boyle, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Joleen D. Simpson, Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation in New England, today announced that Robert Porzio, of Westport, waived his right to be indicted and pleaded guilty yesterday before U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to one count of tax evasion. According to court documents and statements made in court, Porzio, who operates Bert's Tree Service, Inc., deposited numerous customers' checks into personal bank accounts, transferred a significant portion of the funds into a personal investment account, and kept from the corporation's bookkeeper his receipt of the additional payments. These diverted payments were not reported either on his individual federal tax returns as additional salary or on the corporation's tax returns as additional receipts. For the 2012 through 2016 tax years, Porzio failed to report a total of more than $900,000 in additional income. The underreporting of Porzio's income tax liability and the company's payroll tax obligations resulted in a loss of $331,388 to the IRS. Judge Underhill scheduled sentencing for March 10, 2022, at which time Porzio faces a maximum term of imprisonment of five years. Porzio is released on a $50,000 bond pending sentencing. This matter has been investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Anastasia King.
