An Apopka man who failed to pay over $500,000 in federal income taxes has been sentenced to six months in federal prison followed by six months of home incarceration.
On Thursday, December 19, U.S. District Judge Wendy W. Berger sentenced James Fabius King, also known as Douglas Mesadieu, to 12 months’ confinement for tax evasion.
King had entered a guilty plea in June.
According to court documents, King earned an income of over $1.7 million in 2013, and he owed a total of $546,479 in federal income tax.
During the next three years, King used nominee businesses to pay personal expenses and car payments on his Audi R8 sports car, which was valued at $151,890. He also transferred the title of three luxury cars that he owned – an Aston Martin, Rolls Royce, and Bentley – into the name of a nominee business.
King took the above actions between 2014 and 2017 to evade the seizure of his assets to pay the tax debt he owed.
Following King’s sentencing, he was also ordered by the court to pay $546,479 in restitution, which represents the losses to the United States as a result of his conduct.
“The dishonesty exhibited by (King) is a clear violation of the laws we all abide by,” said Ron Loecker, Special Agent in Charge of IRS-Criminal Investigation’s Tampa Field Office. “While we may not always like it, we each have a responsibility to our country and ultimately to each other. We will not ignore attempts to cheat the tax system for personal gain.”
This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Chauncey A. Bratt.