Last week I had a story about a Taco Bell franchisee around the time that the chain had a talking chihuahua. Today I have a story where a tax evader compares himself to a chihuahua.
Bohdan Senyszyn is a CPA who worked for the IRS for 25 years. Back in 1998 Mr. Senyszyn did some accounting work for a New Jersey developer. As part of the work he set up shell companies for the developer so that the developer could hide income. However, the developer cooperated with the IRS which led to the arrest of Mr. Senyszyn. Oh yes, Mr. Senyszyn did one other thing: he skimmed money off the top from the developer and didn’t report the stolen money as income. The government put the tax loss at $80,000 on $250,000 of income.
Mr. Senyszyn earlier pleaded guilty to filing phony tax returns, tax evasion, structuring a financial transaction and bank fraud. On Thursday he tried to change his guilty plea to innocent on the tax evasion charge but the judge refused. Mr. Senyszyn then, in asking for leniency, said, “I’m nothing more than a Chihuahua. I run around and bark a lot, but I don’t bite anybody.”
However, his actions might be taken otherwise. The Star-Ledger reported, “Senyszyn’s conduct included writing letters to the prosecution team, government officials, witnesses and the victim, as well as vandalizing a sign on property be longing to the informant in the case, said Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Calcagni.” Judge William J. Martini told Mr. Senyszyn, “I can’t take the risk you’re a Chihuahua and find out you’re a bulldog.” Mr. Senyszyn received 34 months at ClubFed and a $12,500 fine.
There’s one certainty: Chihuahuas don’t evade taxes but people do.