STAMFORD, CT — An OnlyFans content creator from Stamford waived her right to indictment and pleaded guilty Tuesday to tax evasion, federal officials announced.
Seathra Zmeena Orr, 39, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Omar A. Williams in Hartford.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Orr worked as a content creator, posting photos and videos online, including through OnlyFans, a paid subscription website, federal officials said.
Orr earned more than $3 million in income from posting content to OnlyFans from 2019 through 2022 tax years, according to federal officials, who said OnlyFans issued Orr Forms 1099 that reported non-employee compensation in the amounts of $164,669.96, $801,395, $1,339,900, and $822,400, respectively.
Federal officials said Orr "willfully failed" to pay taxes or file tax returns for those years. They said she evaded payment by using multiple business names, obtaining 12 Employee Identification Numbers, opening 11 business bank accounts and eight personal bank accounts, and transferring money among the accounts without a legitimate business purpose.
Orr also purchased and used cashier's checks and used her business bank accounts to make at least $1.3 million in personal expenditures, including paying rent for her apartment, purchasing luxury vehicles, and buying more than $110,000 in jewelry, federal officials noted.
"Many content creators are earning significant income through a variety of online platforms, but it is without question that we all have still have a legal obligation to pay required taxes," said United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut David X. Sullivan in a news release.
"This prosecution should serve as a warning that no matter how or where you earn your money, you are not absolved from paying taxes on it. Any attempt to intentionally hide earnings and evade the payment of taxes will lead to serious criminal consequences."
Thomas Demeo, the special agent in charge of IRS Criminal Investigation in New England, said Orr's guilty plea "should send a strong message" to all content creators.
"Advances in technology have allowed anyone the opportunity to become an overnight sensation and potential millionaire, but all content creators must remember that all income is taxable income," Demeo said.
"Paying taxes is the responsibility of every American, no matter what they choose to do for work. When you don't pay your taxes, you hurt every single American citizen by reducing available funds for schools, road repairs, and social welfare programs."
Tax evasion carries a maximum term of five years in prison.
The government has calculated that Orr owes more than $1.1 million in restitution to the IRS, federal officials said, noting she has agreed to pay at least $476,970 in restitution. A final restitution order will be determined by the court.
Orr is released on a $100,000 bond pending sentencing, which has not been scheduled.
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