Florida CPA Pleads Guilty to $2.2M Tax Evasion
Summary
A Florida CPA, Ronald St. Clair, pleaded guilty to one count of tax evasion involving more than $2.2 million in unreported income tax liabilities from tax years 2011 through 2017. St. Clair hid assets from the IRS by selling real property and transferring the proceeds to a bank account under a third party's name while seeking an IRS payment plan. Sentencing is scheduled separately, with a maximum penalty of five years in prison plus restitution and monetary penalties.
What changed
Ronald St. Clair, a Florida Certified Public Accountant, pleaded guilty to one count of tax evasion under federal law. Court documents allege he accumulated tax debts for 2011 through 2017 totaling over $2.2 million, then in 2020 attempted to evade collection by selling real property and transferring proceeds to a third party's bank account while seeking an IRS payment plan. The guilty plea has been entered in federal court in the Middle District of Florida, with sentencing to be scheduled.
Financial professionals, accountants, and tax practitioners should note this as an enforcement action demonstrating IRS Criminal Investigation's continued focus on sophisticated tax evasion schemes involving asset concealment. Individuals with outstanding tax liabilities who are considering or currently in payment plan negotiations should be aware that concealing assets during such proceedings carries significant criminal exposure, including potential federal prison time.
Penalties
Maximum of 5 years in prison, restitution, and monetary penalties as determined by the federal district court judge
Archived snapshot
Apr 17, 2026GovPing captured this document from the original source. If the source has since changed or been removed, this is the text as it existed at that time.
Date: April 9, 2026
Contact: newsroom@ci.irs.gov
Fort Myers, FL — A Florida Certified Public Accountant pleaded guilty today to evading payment of more than $2.2 million of income tax liabilities.
According to court documents, Ronald St. Clair attempted to hide his assets from the IRS after accumulating tax debts for 2011 through 2017. In 2020, after the IRS notified St. Clair that it intended to levy his assets to collect his unpaid taxes, St. Clair sold real property he owned and transferred the proceeds into a bank account in a third party’s name. After transferring these funds out of his own name, St. Clair directed the money for his personal and business use and intentionally failed to disclose these funds and assets while he was seeking a payment plan with the IRS.
St. Clair pleaded guilty to one count of tax evasion. His sentencing will be scheduled at a later date. He faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison, as well as restitution and monetary penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe for the Middle District of Florida and Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick L. Darcey of the Middle District of Florida and Trial Attorneys Marissa R. Brodney and Aaron I. Henricks of the Criminal Division’s Tax Section are prosecuting the case.
IRS-CI is the law enforcement arm of the IRS, responsible for conducting financial crime investigations, including tax fraud, narcotics trafficking, money laundering, public corruption, healthcare fraud, identity theft and more. It is the only federal law enforcement agency with investigative jurisdiction over violations of the Internal Revenue Code. IRS-CI has 18 field offices located across the U.S. and maintains an international presence through attaché posts abroad.
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