IRS Investigates Woodbridge Man Who Admitted He Lied On Tax Returns

WOODBRIDGE, NJ — A Woodbridge man admitted in federal court Jan. 9 to filing two false tax returns, following a criminal investigation done by the IRS out of their Newark field office.

The Woodbridge man is Thomas Kohutich, 34. He pleaded guilty to two counts of subscribing a false tax return, in 2018 and 2019.

Federal prosecutors say Kohutich filed individual income tax returns (Form 1040) for 2018 and 2019 on his and his wife’s behalf. But he failed to report money he stole from his former employer, a manufacturing company, according to court documents on this case.

Kohutich failed to report $840,956 in income for those years, said the IRS. Prosecutors say he embezzled that money from the manufacturing company where he worked, until he was terminated in 2020. Prosecutors say he diverted money from the company accounts to his own personal credit cards.

As part of his plea agreement, Kohutich agreed to pay full restitution to the IRS, as well as restitution to his former employer.

“IRS Criminal Investigation, Newark Field Office concluded Thomas Kohutich, 34, of Woodbridge, New Jersey, failed to report $307,981 for 2018 and he did not report $532,976 for 2019,” said Tammy Tomlins, special agent in charge of the Newark field office. “Our investigations are targeted at individuals who knowingly commit tax fraud or other financial crimes. CI’s Newark Field Office special agents serve the citizens of New Jersey by investigating potential criminal violations of the Internal Revenue Code and related financial crimes in a manner that fosters confidence in the tax system and compliance with United States tax law.”

January 29 is the Filing season start date for individual tax returns.

Last year, President Joe Biden unveiled a plan to hire thousands of new IRS agents, tasked with investigating people and business owners who lie, mislead or otherwise try to hide money on their tax returns. Biden's plan is controversial: Democrats praised it, saying the federal government is losing millions each year in tax evasion, while Republicans lambasted it, saying the IRS is targeting small-business owners and working Americans.

In 2024, the IRS is scheduled to hire 20,000 new staffers, and most of those new hires will go towards enforcement. The IRS has 20 field offices located across the U.S.

"This plea serve as a reminder that the IRS is committed to ensuring all taxpayers pay their fair share of taxes,” said Tomlins. "There is no secret formula that can eliminate an individual’s tax obligations, and those who create elaborate schemes that have no purpose other than to mislead and defraud the IRS will be prosecuted."