Guilford Landscaper Pleads Guilty

GUILFORD, CT — Louis Pocograno, 58, of Guilford, waived his right to be indicted and pleaded guilty last week before U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to one count of tax evasion, according to a joint statement released by John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Kristina O’Connell, Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation in New England.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Pocograno owns Poco & Son Lawn Care, LLC, a landscaping and snowplowing business based in Guilford. Between approximately 2013 and 2016, Pocograno cashed numerous checks from clients that were made payable to him rather than his business, and he failed to report this income to the IRS, officials said in a statement.

He also used a portion of the cash to pay undocumented workers he employed, and failed to collect and pay over the employment taxes for these employees, officials said.

Underhill scheduled sentencing for June 14, 2019, at which time Pocograno faces a maximum term of imprisonment of five years. Pocograno has agreed to pay the IRS restitution of $33,383, which represents income tax that is due for the 2013 through 2016 tax years, and an additional $250,364.59, which represents the employment tax that is due for those years, plus interest and penalties, federal authorities said.