TRENTON – A brother and a sister were charged in a scheme to evade more than $1.5 million in payroll taxes through businesses they controlled.
Enrico Cifelli, 51, of Holmdel, and Michelle Bocchieri, 42, of Matawan, were each charged with one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States. Cifelli is additionally charged with one count of evasion of payment of payroll taxes, four counts of failure to pay over payroll taxes, and one count of evasion of assessment of income tax. Their arraignment is scheduled for April 4.
According to investigators, Cifelli controlled two companies, Cifelli Disposal Inc., a waste disposal business, and LBAB LLC, a construction business. Cifelli failed to pay the vast majority of payroll taxes for Cifelli Disposal for the years 2004 through 2008 and for LBAB for the years 2009 through 2015, resulting in more than $1.5 million in taxes, penalties, and interest.
To avoid paying the IRS and give the false impression that Cifelli lacked the ability to pay his back taxes, police said Bocchieri funded Cifelli’s lifestyle through an entity she nominally owned, but Cifelli controlled. For instance, Bocchieri caused her company to pay the down payment, mortgage, and other expenses for Cifelli’s personal residence.
Cifelli submitted a false Offer in Compromise to the IRS in June 2016, making multiple misrepresentations and material omissions of his assets and household income, while offering to settle his tax debt for pennies on the dollar.
Each count carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000, or twice the gross pecuniary gain or loss to any person, whichever is greatest.
Charges are just accusations until proven guilty in a court of law.
