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United States of America v. Paul Kenneth Cromar
Date: 12-26-2024
Case Number:
Judge: Howard C. Nielson Jr.
Court: The United States District Court for the District of Columbia (Washington County)
Plaintiff's Attorney: The States United Attorney’s Office in Washington, DC
Defendant's Attorney: Click Here For The Best Washington, DC Criminal Defense Lawyer Directory
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Washington, DC criminal defense lawyer represented the Defendant charged with Tax Evasion and Forcibly Retaking Property Seized Under Court Order
Former Utah Movie Producer Sentenced for Tax Evasion and Forcibly Retaking Property Seized Under Court Order
Paul Kenneth Cromar, formerly of Cedar Hills, Utah, owned a home in Cedar Hills and operated Blue Moon Productions LLC, a freelance film and media production company. From 1999 through 2005, Cromar did not file any federal income tax returns or pay any tax. In 2005, the IRS conducted an audit and assessed him with $703,266.96 in taxes, interest and penalties. For more than a decade thereafter, Cromar did not make any payments towards his outstanding debt and took steps to obstruct the IRS's ability to collect his delinquent taxes.
In 2019, due to this course of conduct, a federal judge ordered that Cromar's home be sold at auction to satisfy his tax obligations, which by then had ballooned to over $1 million. Cromar then attempted to stop the sale by filing false documents on the property's title and with the IRS, including a false promissory note. He also attempted to intimidate potential purchasers of the home and harassed IRS personnel by filing frivolous lawsuits against them personally.
Shortly before the sale closed, Cromar broke into the home and attempted to reclaim it. With the help of others, he occupied the home unlawfully for five months, fortifying it with firearms, sandbags and wooden boards tactically placed throughout the house.
In addition to his prison sentence, U.S. District Judge Howard C. Nielson Jr. for the District of Utah ordered Cromar to serve three years of supervised release and to pay approximately $723,028.65 in restitution to the United States as a condition of his supervised release.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department's Tax Division, U.S. Attorney Trina A. Higgins for the District of Utah and Special Agent in Charge Carissa Messick of IRS Criminal Investigation's Phoenix Field Office made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation's Phoenix Field Office and the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) jointly investigated the case. The FBI assisted in locating and apprehending Cromar, who had been a fugitive from justice in a related Utah state court criminal matter since August 2022.
Trial Attorneys Meredith Havekost and Patrick Burns of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Woolf for the District of Utah prosecuted the case. Trial Attorney Peter Anthony of the Tax Division assisted with the investigation
Defendant was found guilty and sentenced to three years of supervised release and to pay approximately $723,028.65 in restitution to the United States as a condition of his supervised release.
About This Case
What was the outcome of United States of America v. Paul Kenneth Cromar?
The outcome was: Defendant was found guilty and sentenced to three years of supervised release and to pay approximately $723,028.65 in restitution to the United States as a condition of his supervised release.
Which court heard United States of America v. Paul Kenneth Cromar?
This case was heard in The United States District Court for the District of Columbia (Washington County), DC. The presiding judge was Howard C. Nielson Jr..
Who were the attorneys in United States of America v. Paul Kenneth Cromar?
Plaintiff's attorney: The States United Attorney’s Office in Washington, DC. Defendant's attorney: Click Here For The Best Washington, DC Criminal Defense Lawyer Directoryfont >.
When was United States of America v. Paul Kenneth Cromar decided?
This case was decided on December 26, 2024.