LAWFUEL – The Legal Newswire – R. Alexander Acosta, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and Michael E. Yasofsky, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, announced today the conviction of defendant Stephen J. Short, Jr. following a three day trial in Fort Pierce, Florida. Short was convicted of four counts of willfully failing to file his income tax returns, in violation of Title 26, United States Code, Section 7203.
According to the evidence presented during trial, defendant Short, a resident of Vero Beach and owner of Short Chiropractic Inc., failed to file federal income tax returns for tax years 2000, and 2002-2004. In 2000, he received gross income of approximately $124,000; in 2002, he received gross income of approximately $87,000; in 2003, he received gross income of approximately $107,000; and in 2004, he received gross income of approximately $106,000.
Sentencing is scheduled for October 22, 2007 before United States District Court Judge Donald L. Graham. Short faces a statutory maximum term of one year imprisonment per count.
Mr. Acosta commended the investigative efforts of the Internal Revenue Service. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Rinku Talwar, and DOJ Tax Trial Attorney Todd Ellinwood.
