Farmington Accountant Pleads Guilty To Tax Fraud: Feds

FARMINGTON, CT — A Farmington accountant pleaded guilty in federal court Thursday to filing false tax returns.

Vanessa Roberts Avery, U.S. attorney for Connecticut, and Harry T. Chavis, Jr., special agent in charge of IRS Criminal Investigation in New England, said Mark Legowski, 60, of Farmington, waived his right to be indicted and pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Bridgeport to filing false tax returns.

According to court documents and statements made in court, from January 2015 through December 2017, Legowski was a self-employed accountant and tax return preparer doing business as Legowski & Company, Inc., in Farmington.

Avery said Legowski prepared income tax returns for approximately 400 to 500 individual clients and approximately 50 to 60 businesses.

For the 2015 through 2017 tax years, in order to reduce his income tax liability, Legowski willfully underreported LCI’s gross receipts in LCI’s computer bookkeeping system by excluding some customer payment checks, she said.

He then filed false personal income tax returns that failed to report a total of more than $1.4 million in business income, which resulted in a loss to the IRS of $499,289, Avery said.

His sentencing is slated for Nov. 25.

According to Avery, he faces a maximum term of imprisonment of three years.

Legowski also has agreed to cooperate with the IRS to pay $499,289 in back taxes, as well as penalties and interest, she said.

He is released on a $50,000 bond pending sentencing.

For the full federal announcement of the plea, click on this link.