DOJ Announces Sentencing of Former CEO for Tax Evasion

FORMER UTAH CEO SENTENCED TO PRISON FOR TAX EVASION

Used Nominee to Hide Income and Concealed Information from his Return Preparer

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2018

WASHINGTON — A former CEO of a Salt Lake City, Utah, company was sentenced today to 12 months and 1 day in prison for tax evasion, announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman of the Justice Department's Tax Division and U.S. Attorney John W. Huber for the District of Utah.

Peter Nordberg, 62, of Alameda, California, pleaded guilty in September 2017 to tax evasion. According to court documents, Nordberg was the Chief Executive Officer of Max International, a company that produces and markets nutritional supplements directly and through independent associates and distributors. As an employee of Max International, Nordberg earned a salary and commissions equal to a percentage of sales. Nordberg caused Max International to pay his bonus income to a nominee entity he established, and used a bank account in the name of the nominee entity to pay personal expenses. Nordberg concealed the bonus income and nominee entity from his return preparer and filed false tax returns with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) that underreported his income. Nordberg's conduct caused a tax loss of approximately $275,000.

In addition to the term of prison imposed, U.S. District Court Judge Dee Benson ordered Nordberg to serve 1 year of supervised release and to pay $354,770 in restitution to the United States Treasury.

Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Zuckerman and U.S. Attorney Huber thanked special agents of IRS Criminal Investigation, who conducted the investigation, and Tax Division Trial Attorney Matthew Hoffman and Assistant U.S. Attorney Ruth Hackford-Peer, who prosecuted the case.

Additional information about the Tax Division and its enforcement efforts may be found on the division's website.