BOSTON – The owner of a local paving company was sentenced today for tax evasion in connection with a seven-year scheme to underreport income on his tax returns.
Robert Brainard, 52, of Weymouth, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin to one year and one day in prison and one year of supervised release. Brainard was also ordered to pay $784,799 in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service for unpaid income and employment taxes. On July 25, 2022, Brainard pleaded guilty to one count of tax evasion.
Brainard, the former owner of Got Pavement Needs, Inc., underreported income on his personal tax returns for tax years 2014 through 2021, resulting in an income tax loss of more than $593,993. In addition, to hide his control of the business, Brainard transferred ownership of his company in a straw sale, while maintaining control over the company’s operations and income. Brainard used his illicit tax savings to fund an off-the-books, cash payroll, for which he also did not pay employment taxes.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins and Joleen D. Simpson, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kriss Basil of Rollins’ Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit prosecuted the case.