Naugatuck Landlord Sentenced To Prison: Feds

NAUGATUCK, CT — A Naugatuck landlord, Anthony A. Valentino, 76, of Florida, will spend the next nine months in prison for tax evasion. He'll also pay a $10,000 fine. Valentino was sentenced in federal court this week.

Valentino is a real estate investor who owns property in Connecticut and New York, including a 100-unit apartment complex in Naugatuck. From 2011 to 2013, Valentino deposited more than $1.1 million of rental real estate receipts, paid in cash or checks, into his personal bank accounts in Connecticut and New York, and failed to report the receipts on his personal and partnership federal tax returns, officials say.

For the 2011 through 2013 tax years, Valentino failed to report $1,008,125 in taxable income on his tax returns, and only reported $42,815 in taxable income, federal authorities said. As a result, he evaded payment of $302,449 in income taxes, federal officials said.

The investigation also revealed that, in 2013, Valentino made or caused to be made 27 cash deposits totaling $247,100 into his savings account in Connecticut, officials said. Many of the cash deposits, which ranged in amounts from $7,000 to $9,900, were made on the same day at different times, or on consecutive days, officials say.

Federal law requires all financial institutions to file a Currency Transaction Report (“CTR”) for currency transactions that exceed $10,000. To evade the filing of a CTR, individuals will often structure their currency transactions so that no single transaction exceeds $10,000.

Valentino has paid restitution to the U.S. Treasury of $302,339, but still owes approximately $333,000 in tax penalties and interest. He also has forfeited $100,000 related to his structuring of cash deposits. On March 25, Valentino pleaded guilty to one count of tax evasion.

Valentino, who is released on a $50,000 bond, is required to report to prison on Oct. 28.