A Frankfort man has been sentenced to a year and a day in federal prison and ordered to pay restitution after pleading guilty to filing a false tax return, according to the U.S. attorney’s office.
Jeremiah Johnson, 46, underreported more than $1.5 million in income in filing tax returns from 2015 through 2020, according to a news release from the office.
Johnson operated a child care center and transportation company and did not report income earned from those businesses, according to the release.
Johnson also failed to file corporate tax returns or pay the required employer and employee withholdings for federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare, according to the release.
He was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Matthew Kennelly Aug. 14, fined $10,000 and ordered to pay restitution of more than $123,000 to the Internal Revenue Service. He was ordered to report for his sentence before Dec. 3.
Prosecutors sought a prison term of 2 years and said that the total state and federal tax loss was $1.6 million due to the underreporting and failing to file required withholding.
Johnson’s attorneys had asked that he be given probation, telling the judge in a court filing that Johnson “deeply regrets and is ashamed of what he did” and that “his shame has consumed him.”
His lawyers said Johnson has five children living with him, and that a prison term would remove him as the main source of income for the household.
Johnson’s attorneys said the man did not use the money to fund a lavish lifestyle and is “ashamed, embarrassed and remorseful.”
