United States Attorney's Office District of Connecticut
Press Release

OLD LYME MAN PLEADS GUILTY TO WILLFULLY FAILING TO PAY FEDERAL TAXES

Kevin J. O'Connor, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that FRANCIS R. SABLONE, JR., age 55, of Old Lyme, Connecticut, pleaded guilty today to willfully failing to pay taxes owed for the 1992 and 1993 calendar years. United States Magistrate Judge Donna F. Martinez accepted SABLONE's plea of guilty today in Hartford federal court.

According to information presented by the Government at the plea proceeding today, SABLONE owed the Internal Revenue Service more than $63,000 in taxes, penalties and interest for the years 1992 and 1993. After failing to pay the IRS for a number of years, and after being contacted directly by a revenue officer about his failure to pay his tax liability, SABLONE, who is an attorney, sought to compromise his tax debt by convincing the IRS that he was incapable of paying the full amount owed. He initiated an "offer in compromise" and eventually convinced the IRS to accept approximately $18,300 and to write off the remainder of his liability. During the "offer in compromise" process, SABLONE did not inform the IRS that he was in the real estate development business and controlled the operation and assets of a number of real estate companies. Further, SABLONE admitted that he concealed assets – including a 40-foot yacht that he transferred to one of the real estate companies but continued to use, that he concealed cash and credit lines and accounts to which he had access, and that he misled the IRS about the financial circumstances of his spouse at that time.

When sentenced on July 22, 2004, SABLONE faces a maximum term of imprisonment of one year and a maximum fine of $100,000.

This case was investigated by special agents of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation division, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Karen L. Peck and Anastasia Enos.

CONTACT:

U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Tom Carson
(203) 821-3722
thomas.carson@usdoj.gov