Two Brunswick men have been convicted of conspiracy to defraud the United States by impairing and impeding the Internal Revenue Service.

F. William Messier, 70, and David E. Robinson, 78, were convicted by a federal jury in U.S. District Court Friday. Messier was also convicted of corruptly endeavoring to impede the IRS.

Doing business as Oak Hill Communications, Messier failed to pay taxes on hundreds of thousands of dollars he made on leases from telecommunications towers on his Brunswick property, according to testimony during the trial. From 1999 to 2014, Messier provided false tax documents to customers and obstructed IRS collection activities.

In 2012 the IRS assessed $172,000 in taxes and interest for the years 2000 to 2004 against Messier. According to testimony from witnesses, after the IRS sent notices of levy to Messier’s customers Messier and Robinson tried to obstruct and impede the IRS by presenting the IRS with a fake and worthless money order for the amount due by Messier.

Messier and Robinson also urged customers not to honor the levies or to pay the IRS and to pay Messier in cash to conceal their payments from the IRS. The two also sent false documents to the IRS and sent threatening and misleading correspondence to customers urging them not to cooperate with the IRS, according to testimony.

Messier and Robinson co-authored a book about the IRS, “Maine Lawsuit Against the IRS: For Unfair Trade Practises.”

During the trial Messier’s attorney, Michael Minns, said his client failed to pay taxes and tried to obstruct the IRS but did so because he was “delusional.” Robinson’s lawyer, Joel Vincent, said his client believes that every U.S. citizens has a “secret” account created at birth and Robinson encouraged Messier to pay his tax debt from that account.

Prosecutor Karen Kelly, assistant chief of the Department of Justice’s tax division, said the men knew what they were doing and intentionally tried to block the government’s collection efforts.

Messier’s adult daughter, Lisa Pelletier, testifying as a government witness, said she gave the IRS all the evidence she had against her father after he abruptly withdrew an offer to her and her husband to have them take over his business when they expressed their discomfort with not paying taxes.

Messier faces up to eight years in prison and fines totaling $500,000. Robinson faces up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.

The two men will be sentenced after the completion of a pre-sentence investigation by the U.S. Probation Office.

The convictions were announced by U.S. Attorney Thomas Delahanty and Acting Assistant Attorney General of the U.S. Department of Justice, Tax Division, Caroline Ciraolo.

 

Copy the Story Link