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Michael Montanez

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Morris County Company Exec Charged With Stiffing IRS $1.5M In Taxes Takes Plea Morris County Company Exec Charged With Stiffing IRS $1.5M In Taxes Takes Plea
Morris County Company Exec Charged With Stiffing IRS $1.5M In Taxes Takes Plea A Morris County window tinting company executive accused of short-changing the government by $1.15 million on employment taxes pleaded guilty to a lesser charge, federal authorities said. As vice president of Rockaway-based A Pain In The Glass Inc., Stephen Walloga was responsible for collecting, accounting for and paying over employee payroll taxes, said Michael Montanez the special agent in charge of IRS-Criminal Investigation’s Newark Field Office. Walloga didn’t pay those taxes for nearly a decade, Montanez said. He subsequently took a deal from the government rather than face trial, a…

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by Jerry DeMarco
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IRS Roots Out $440M In Fraud In First Year Of Pandemic Assistance, Hunts For More IRS Roots Out $440M In Fraud In First Year Of Pandemic Assistance, Hunts For More
IRS Roots Out $440M In Fraud In First Year Of Pandemic Assistance, Hunts For More Along with the welcome relief brought by the federal Paycheck Protection Program have come scams, more than 350 of which are tax and money laundering crimes that have totaled $440 million over the past year, the IRS says. On what will be the one-year anniversary of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act this Saturday, the service’s top officials pledged to continue rooting out the wrongdoing. “As we continue to navigate through this pandemic, businesses and families continue to struggle through financial hardships,” said Michael Montanez, the special agent in charge o…

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by Jerry DeMarco
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SCAM ALERT: Don't Let Sketchy Tax Preparer Rip You Off, IRS Warns SCAM ALERT: Don't Let Sketchy Tax Preparer Rip You Off, IRS Warns
Scam ALERT: Don't Let Sketchy Tax Preparer Rip You Off, IRS Warns The IRS began accepting and processing 2020 tax year returns on Friday -- with a warning. Although most tax preparers deliver honest and professional service, “there’s a small number of dishonest preparers who set up shop during filing season to steal money and personal and financial information from clients,” said Michael Montanez, the special agent in charges of IRS Criminal Investigation’s Newark Field Office. Look no further than the results of some his squad’s year-round investigative work. The most recent example is Joseph Kenny Batts, a tax preparer in New Jersey who was sentence…

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by Jerry DeMarco
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IRS Warns Of Brand-New Wave Of Scams Tied To Stimulus Checks, COVID-19 IRS Warns Of Brand-New Wave Of Scams Tied To Stimulus Checks, COVID-19
IRS Warns Of Brand-New Wave Of Scams Tied To Stimulus Checks, Covid-19 ALERT: No sooner did the second round of stimulus checks start going out than a new wave of scams began, authorities said. With COVID-19 still rampant and tax filing season near, thieves have been busy tricking honest Americans out of their hard-earned money, warned Michael Montanez, the special agent in charge of the IRS – Criminal Investigation Field Office in Newark. Aiming to protect them, Montanez assembled information to help New Jersey taxpayers protect their finances and not “fall victim to criminals looking to take advantage of them.” Look out for: Text messages asking taxpayers…

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by Jerry DeMarco
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Jersey Shore Construction Contractor Admits Ducking Nearly $1,000,000 In Taxes Jersey Shore Construction Contractor Admits Ducking Nearly $1,000,000 In Taxes
Jersey Shore Construction Contractor Admits Ducking Nearly $1,000,000 In Taxes A Jersey Shore businessman admitted in federal court that he ducked more than $952,778 in payroll and personal income taxes by putting his Manhattan construction company in an associate’s name, paying workers in cash and hiding the scheme from his accountant. Bilal Salaj, 55, of Morganville admitted in U.S. District Court downtown that he “continued to hold principal control and decision-making authority over the business and its financial affairs” of the business after changing ownership in July 2014, Southern District of New York Acting U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss said. That included con…

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by Jerry DeMarco