PHILADELPHIA — This is an official press release from the U.S. Department of Justice (USAO - Pennsylvania, Eastern), published as received.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Conrad Benedetto, 66, of Philadelphia, PA, and who is an attorney licensed to practice in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, entered a plea of guilty before United States District Court Judge Wendy Beetlestone to multiple tax fraud charges in connection with his scheme to avoid paying the appropriate amount of personal and business taxes over to the IRS for several years in connection with his Philadelphia law practice.

The defendant pleaded guilty to the charges of failure to file a tax return and failure to collect or pay employment tax, both arising from an investigation that revealed that from tax years 2013 to 2015, Benedetto filed false personal tax returns understating his law practice’s gross receipts; for tax years 2016-2018, the defendant failed to file personal tax returns; and for 2017, failed to truthfully account for, or pay over to the IRS, federal income and FICA taxes withheld from the wages of his law firm’s employees.

“As the sole owner and operator of his law practice, the defendant had a fiduciary obligation to file taxes in a timely and accurate manner,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “Further, as an attorney, he had a duty to conduct himself with professionalism and integrity; instead, he chose the greedy path. Together with our law enforcement partners, we will investigate and hold responsible those who would attempt to cheat the United States tax system.”

“Mr. Benedetto had a responsibility to do what honest taxpayers do every year: file accurate tax returns and pay over the taxes they owe.  However, even being an attorney, he elected not to do so, which ultimately led to today’s guilty plea,” said Yury Kruty, Special Agent in Charge of IRS-Criminal Investigation.  The Special Agents of my office, together with the Department of Justice, will continue to investigate and prosecute those who intentionally violate our tax laws.”    

The case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigations and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Joan Burnes.