PITTSBURGH, PA - A resident of Sewickley, PA, has entered a plea of guilty to charges of tax evasion in Federal Court in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.

According to the information presented to the court, Mark Stanford, the owner of Y Clean in Wexford, PA, evaded payment of both his personal income taxes and the employer and employee portions of Social Security and Medicare taxes for employees that he should have paid by virtue of owning and operating his cleaning business during the period 2009 through 2013 (for the tax years 2008 through 2012). According to the information upon which Mr. Stanford’s plea was offered, he made large personal expenditures (such as two Bentley automobiles) rather than pay the taxes he knew were due and owing both for himself and for his employees. He also was shown to have filed a false document with the IRS regarding his personal and business financial situation. The document was false in that it failed to identify, among other things, the two Bentley automobiles on his list of assets and it failed to identify a bank account that he caused to be opened, which identified his son as the principal account holder, which he used to move money through that he took from his business and paid to himself in cash.

U.S. District Judge Cathy Bissoon set sentencing for September 4th, 2019, at 2:15 pm. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 (or both) for each tax evasion count. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

The Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigations conducted the investigation leading to the indictment in this case.

PITTSBURGH, PA -- A resident of Sewickley, Pa., has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on charges of tax evasion and obstructing the due administration of the internal revenue laws, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.

The three-count indictment named Mark Stanford as the sole defendant.

According to the indictment presented to the court, Stanford evaded payment of both his personal income taxes and the employer and employee portions of Social Security and Medicare taxes that he should have paid by virtue of owning and operating a cleaning business during the period 2009 through 2013. He is alleged to have made large personal expenditures (such as Bentley automobiles) rather than pay the taxes due and owing. He is also alleged to have lied to the IRS about his ability to pay his tax obligations and to have filed a false report with the IRS regarding his personal and business financial situation.

The law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 (or both) for each tax evasion count and up to three years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 (or both) for the obstruction count. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

Assistant United States Attorney James R. Wilson is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

The Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigations conducted the investigation leading to the indictment in this case.

An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.