Source: United States Department of Justice News
An Ohio husband and wife pleaded guilty today to conspiring to defraud the IRS relating to their ownership and operation of illegal gambling businesses in Canton.
According to court documents and statements made in court, from 2010 through 2018, Jason Kachner and Rebecca Kachner, along with other co-conspirators, owned and operated two illegal gambling businesses, Skilled Shamrock and Redemption Skill Games 777 (Redemption). The Kachners admitted to conspiring together and with the other owners to defraud the IRS by filing false tax returns that omitted most of the income they received from their ownership of the illegal gambling businesses and by using a nominee owner to conceal their ownership of the businesses.
From 2012 through 2017, patrons at Skilled Shamrock wagered a total of more than $34 million, which resulted in more than $4 million in income for the owners of the gambling business. During these years, Jason and Rebecca Kachner received more than $900,000 in income from Skilled Shamrock. In total, from 2009 through 2018, they received approximately $2.3 million in income from Skilled Shamrock and Redemption. They did not report the vast majority of this income on their annual tax returns during these years. Rebecca Kachner also admitted to renting a storage locker to hold cash, which was generated from the illegal gambling businesses. As part of her plea agreement, she agreed to forfeit approximately $241,000 in cash that investigators found in the storage locker.
Rebecca Kachner pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud the IRS, and Jason Kachner pleaded guilty to two counts. Sentencing hearings for both defendants will be scheduled at a later date. Both face a maximum penalty of five years in prison for each count of conspiring to defraud the IRS. They also face a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and First Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle M. Baeppler for the Northern District of Ohio made the announcement.
IRS-Criminal Investigation, the U.S. Department of the Treasury, Office of the Inspector General, the Ohio Casino Control Commission and the Ohio Casino Control Commission are investigating the case. Homeland Security Investigations provided substantial assistance.
Trial Attorneys Richard M. Rolwing and Sam Bean of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert Patton and David Toepfer for the Northern District of Ohio are prosecuting the case.