Montgomery County Business Owner Imprisoned For $117K Tax Fraud

COLMAR, PA — The owner of a Colmar beer distributor was sentenced to a year in prison after failing to report a huge chunk of income, authorities said.

John Shalongo, 61, a resident of Chalfont, will serve six months in prison and the remaining six months on house arrest after being convicted of tax fraud.

"There are not different rules for different people in our society," Guy Ficco, IRS-
Criminal Investigation Special Agent In Charge, said in a statement. "The public should know that IRS CI will do everything we can to hold individuals accountable to the same tax laws that they are subject to, ensuring that our tax system is fair to everyone."

Shalongo's business, called Jacksontown LLC, did business as a distributor called Beer Stop Beverage. He took income directly from the store, both in cash and from the business' net income.

All told, he failed to report more than $117,000 on his 2014 tax return, the IRS said.

Judge Cynthia M. Rufe also ordered Shalongo to pay $74,000 in restitution and a $50,000 fine.