Los Angeles, CA – LAWFUEL – Press Release Service – Paul Pai Mendoza, of Glendale, California, was sentenced Monday afternoon to serve 13 months in federal prison following a guilty verdict for filing false tax returns. United States District Court Judge Ronald S.W. Lew, who presided over the trial and sentencing, also ordered Mendoza to pay the IRS $79,000 in taxes due; $2,000 of this immediately.
In April 2006, a jury found Mendoza guilty of two counts of subscribing to a false income tax return after a short trial in United States District Court in Los Angeles. Mendoza, 67, was immediately remanded into custody after the jury returned the guilty verdicts. Mendoza had been free on bond prior to the trial however in June 1995 had fled the United States for the Philippines. Special Agents from the IRS arrested Mendoza when he returned to the United States in June 2004.
“Today’s sentencing is an example of the commitment of IRS Criminal Investigation and the United States Attorney’s Office to work together and bring criminals who violate federal tax laws to justice. Fleeing the country will not make these matters go away,” remarked Kenneth J. Hines, Special Agent in Charge, Los Angeles Field Office. “We are pleased to demonstrate to the public that our resolve to protect taxpayers’ interests and faith in the US tax system is strong and of high priority.”
A federal grand jury indicted Mendoza in April 1996 for signing his 1989 and 1990 income tax returns, under penalty of perjury, on which he failed to report at least $217,000 in income. At issue during the trial was the matter of $285,000 in personal injury case settlement checks which Mendoza cashed. Mendoza used the currency to pay his personal living expenses, including a residence in Agoura Hills and luxury Mercedes Benz and BMW automobiles.
This sentencing is a result of an investigation conducted by IRS Criminal Investigation and United States Attorney’s Office divisions in Los Angeles.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Contact: Assistant United States Attorney Alka Sagar at (213)894-6223
