Former business owner sentenced for failing to disclose and pay taxes on more than $1.2 million in business revenue

 

Date: January 12, 2022

Contact: newsroom@ci.irs.gov

Providence, RI — The former owner of a Providence-based business that affixed price tags to jewelry for other companies was sentenced today to two years federal probation and ordered to pay the Internal Revenue Service more than $550,000 in back taxes and interest for failing to report more than $1.2 million in business revenue, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.

Gladys Rossi, sole owner and operator of the now defunct R.I.J. Inc, pleaded guilty on October 6, 2021, to two counts of filing false tax returns.

According to charging documents, an investigation by Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation determined that from 2012 through 2015, Ms. Rossi routinely cashed checks issued to her business by clients, but failed to report the income to the IRS. Ms. Rossi paid employees under-the-table and failed to maintain or prepare business records that accurately tracked expenditures, gross income, net income, profits, and dividend disbursements.

Ms. Rossi failed to report income totaling $1,226,707.21, resulting in an underpayment of taxes of at least $407,767. Accrued interest on the amount of taxes due the IRS totals $147,848.45. As part of the sentence, Ms. Rossi was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $555,615.45, which is made up of the underpayment sum with interest added.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Milind M. Shah.