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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
CONTACT: Erin Duggan |
DISTRICT ATTORNEY VANCE ANNOUNCES CHARGES IN TAX EVASION CASES OF 3 UBS CLIENTS |
Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance, Jr., today announced the filing of criminal charges against JULES ROBBINS, ERNEST VOGLIANO, and FEDERICO HERNANDEZ for falsifying personal income tax returns by hiding assets in secret Swiss bank accounts [1]. The three defendants set up and used sham companies to conceal the ownership of bank accounts held at UBS AG (“UBS”) in Zurich, Switzerland, and hid the income earned on the accounts from the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance. Collectively, the defendants are expected to pay more than $1 million in taxes, interest and penalties to New York State. In February 2009, UBS entered into a $780 million deferred prosecution agreement with the United States Government, pursuant to which UBS admitted to helping United States taxpayers, including ROBBINS, VOGLIANO, and HERNANDEZ, hide accounts from the Internal Revenue Service. As part of the public agreement, UBS provided the United States Government with the identities of, and account information for, certain United States customers of UBS’s cross-border banking business which, from at least 2000 to 2008, helped United States taxpayers to conceal their Swiss-based assets and the income earned on those assets from United States tax authorities, including New York State Tax. Employees of UBS and the United States taxpayers, assisted by independent Swiss attorneys and financial advisors, hid these assets by opening accounts at UBS and listing sham offshore companies as the account holders, while the United States taxpayers actually owned and controlled the accounts. According to documents filed in state and federal court, ROBBINS, VOGLIANO, and HERNANDEZ all opened and controlled such accounts. The defendants each acted as the sole beneficial owner of, and exercised exclusive control over, their respective accounts. Additionally, the defendants each took steps to conceal ownership of their accounts from tax authorities and failed to report to the IRS and New York State Tax the interest and dividend income earned on the assets held in their accounts.
According to documents filed in state and federal court, ROBBINS, 83, owned and operated companies located in New York County that distributed watches. In 1967, he began hiding money at UBS. In 2000, ROBBINS set up a sham Hong Kong corporation with the assistance of a Swiss attorney, and he opened an account in the corporation’s name at UBS. As of December 31, 2007, the account held approximately $42 million in assets. On May 3, 2010, ROBBINS pleaded guilty pursuant to a Superior Court Information, which charged him with two counts of violating Tax Law Section 1804(b) (False Returns; Personal Income and Earnings Taxes) (as in effect before April 7, 2009), a class E felony. As part of his guilty plea Mr. Robbins paid $859,699 to New York State in taxes, interest and penalties. He was sentenced today to a conditional discharge.
According to documents filed in state and federal court, in 1998 VOGLIANO, 80, began hiding money at UBS. In 2002, VOGLIANO set up a sham Hong Kong corporation with the assistance of a Swiss attorney, and he opened an account in the corporation’s name at UBS. As of December 31, 2007, the account held approximately $1.3 million in assets. On May 18, 2010, VOGLIANO was arraigned in Manhattan Criminal Court pursuant to a Felony Complaint, which charged him with four counts of violating Tax Law Section 1804(b) (False Returns; Personal Income and Earnings Taxes) (as in effect before April 7, 2009) and four counts of violating Penal Law Section 175.35 (Offering a False Instrument For Filing in the First Degree), all class E felonies. Based on his false New York State personal income tax returns, Mr. Vogliano owes $63,210 in taxes, interest and penalties. Assistant District Attorney Edward Starishevsky, of the Major Economic Crimes Bureau, is handling the case with the assistance of Investigative Paralegal Aaron Davidowitz.
According to documents filed in state and federal court, HERNANDEZ, 44, owned and operated a financial services company in New York County. In 2001 he began hiding money at UBS. In 2006, HERNANDEZ set up a sham Panama corporation and opened an account in the corporation’s name at UBS. As of December 31, 2006, the account held approximately $8.5 million in assets. On May 18, 2010, HERNANDEZ was arraigned in Manhattan Criminal Court pursuant to a Felony Complaint, which charged him with one count of violating Tax Law Section 1804(b) (False Returns; Personal Income and Earnings Taxes) (as in effect before April 7, 2009), a class E felony. HERNANDEZ owes $72,135 in taxes, interest, penalties, and $25,000 in fines. * * * * All three cases were handled under the supervision of Assistant District Attorney Richard Weber, Chief of the Major Economic Crimes Bureau and Assistant District Attorney Gary T. Fishman, Principal Deputy Chief of the Major Economic Crimes Bureau. Assistant District Attorney Richard T. Preiss, Senior Investigative Counsel in the Major Economic Crimes Bureau, participated in the investigations. Investigator Santiago Batista also assisted in the investigations under the supervision of Deputy Chief Investigator Thomas Jackson of the Investigation Bureau. Defendant information: JULES ROBBINS, 8/29/1926 330 East 75th Street
FEDERICO HERNANDEZ, 11/25/65
A class E felony is punishable by up to 1 1/3 to 4 years in prison. [1] The charges contained in the indictments are merely allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
### Additional news available at: www.manhattanda.org New York County District Attorney | duggane@dany.nyc.gov | 212-335-9400
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