A Connecticut man has been sentenced to one year and one day in prison for evading taxes on income he earned from commercial fishing in Massachusetts.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Brian Kobus of Durham worked as a commercial fisherman and deckhand for various fishing companies in Massachusetts. After each fishing trip, the companies paid Kobus by check.
Despite receiving over $1.2 million in fishing income between 2011 through 2013 and 2017 through 2021, Kobus never filed a federal income tax return or paid the taxes that he owed.
Kobus regularly cashed his paychecks from the fishing companies to conceal the source and disposition of his income from the IRS and used the cash to fund his personal lifestyle.
In total, Kobus caused a tax loss to the IRS of approximately $377,839.90.
In addition to his prison sentence, U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton for the District of Massachusetts ordered Kobus to serve one year of supervised release and to pay $377,839.90 in restitution to the United States.
