A resident of Matawan has admitted his corrupt interference with the administration of internal revenue laws, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Thomas Bertoli, 65, recently pleaded guilty by videoconference before U.S. District Judge Brian R. Martinotti to one count of an indictment charging him with corrupt interference with the administration of internal revenue laws, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
According to documents filed in the case and statements made in court, Bertoli operated the following businesses: The Doormen Inc.; City Street Associates, LLC, also known as CSA, LLC; and Urban Logistics, LLC (Urban Logistics).
Bertoli, individually and through the Bertoli companies, obtained payments from clients for services provided, including payments from developers and construction firms for expediting services on real estate development and construction projects, primarily in Jersey City, and payments from political campaigns for political consulting services in New Jersey.
Expediting in the construction industry typically refers to facilitating the acquisition of building permits and other government agency approvals required for the completion of real estate development and construction projects.
On June 5, 2014, Bertoli was interviewed by an Internal Revenue Service (IRS) collections officer at Bertoli’s residence. Bertoli had not filed tax returns for calendar years 2009 to 2013, despite earning income during that period and owing a total of $195,889 in taxes for those calendar years.
At that time, Bertoli was earning income principally from his operation of Urban Logistics, a company which he owned and for which he was the sole employee.
Bertoli falsely claimed, however, that he was employed as a construction worker at a construction company to conceal the existence of Urban Logistics and the income he earned from his operation of Urban Logistics.
After the June 2014 interview until November 2015, Bertoli was aware of certain actions taken by the IRS to collect taxes he owed, including applying levies and requiring that he make an estimated tax payment for calendar year 2014.
In communications with the IRS during this period, Bertoli continued to purposefully conceal the existence of Urban Logistics and that he was earning substantial income from his operation of Urban Logistics.
Bertoli admitted that, by his concealment of the existence of Urban Logistics from the IRS, he acted knowingly and corruptly, that is, with the purpose to obtain an unlawful benefit for himself by obstructing and impeding the collections activity of the IRS.
According to the press release, the charge of corrupt interference with the administration of internal revenue laws carries a maximum potential penalty of three years in prison and a maximum $250,000 fine.
If accepted by the court at the time of sentencing, the parties’ plea agreement provides that Bertoli will be sentenced to up to 18 months in prison and make full restitution of $1.17 million to the IRS for unpaid taxes for calendar years 2009 to 2016. Sentencing is scheduled for Feb. 7, 2023, according to the press release.
