12/01/2009

News / Wife of Boca Raton Commodities Trader Pleads Guilty to Tax Fraud

Jeffrey H. Sloman, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Daniel W. Auer, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division, John V. Gillies, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Miami Field Office, and J. Thomas Cardwell, Commissioner, State of Florida’s Office of Financial Regulation, announced that defendant Victoria R. Meisner, of Boca Raton, FL, pled guilty today before the U.S. Senior District Judge Kenneth L. Ryskamp to filing a false tax return, in violation of 26 U.S.C. § 7206(1).

As set forth in the Information and the written proffer filed with her plea agreement, in July, 2005, Victoria Meisner filed a 2003 joint federal income tax return on which she reported “Total Income” of $49,626. In fact, as she well knew, she and her family maintained a lavish lifestyle well above that amount. According to the proffer, at least $430,000 in “Total Income” should have been reported on the return. In addition, in September, 2005, she filed a 2004 joint federal income tax return reporting “Total Income” of $93,631, when she knew that her family’s personal expenses for the years were more than $540,000, well in excess of reported income.

As previously noted at Victoria Meisner’s bond hearing, on September 4, 2009, Meisner’s husband, Michael A. Meisner, pled guilty to a three count Information charging him with mail fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C.§ 1341, loan application fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1014, and tax fraud, in violation of 26 U.S.C. § 7201. According to the Information and written proffer filed with his plea agreement, Michael Meisner, a registered commodity trading advisor, defrauded more than 260 investors in a $37 million fraud perpetrated through a company called Phoenix Diversified Investment Corporation (PDIC). Michael Meisner admitted that approximately $6.8 million in PDIC investor monies were used to support his and his family’s luxurious lifestyle. PDIC investor monies were used to pay for, among other things: the purchase or lease of at least 15 luxury cars, including a $217,800 2005 Bentley GT and a $152,000 2005 Aston Martin; the purchase or lease of eight luxury Palm Beach county residences, including high-end single-family homes in gated communities and oceanfront condominiums; luxury vacations, private education expenses, country club fees, multiple large-screen televisions and other high-end electronics, luxury clothing and housewares, and a lavish wedding for his daughter held at Mar-A-Lago on Palm Beach.

Victoria Meisner’s sentencing has been scheduled for February 5, 2010 at 9:30 a.m. before Judge Ryskamp. Michael Meisner is currently scheduled to be sentenced on January 29, 2010 at 1:30 p.m. in front of the U.S. District Judge Kenneth A. Marra.

SAC John V. Gillies stated, “This is a cautionary tale to spouses that they cannot claim ignorance about their financial situation when they know better. We will continue to work with our partners at the IRS to investigate fraud matters.”

Mr. Sloman commended the investigative efforts of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the State of Florida’s Office of Financial Regulation. The cases are being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Carolyn Bell.

http://miami.fbi.gov/dojpressrel/pressrel09/mm113009a.htm

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