An Oregon man pleaded guilty to willfully failing to pay more than $24 million in payroll taxes owed to the IRS. According to court documents and statements made in court, Robert Kohnle of Lake Oswego, was the president, secretary, and chief executive officer of Real Benefits Group Inc., dba Aliat. Beginning in the fourth quarter of 2016 through the fourth quarter of 2022, Kohnle received payroll withholdings from Aliat’s clients but did not pay it over to the IRS as required by the client service agreements. Kohnle instead used the money to pay Aliat’s other expenses and creditors, including himself. In total, Kohnle caused a tax loss to the IRS of $24,816,602. Kohnle is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 8, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison.
Did he really think they were not going to notice this?