Great Neck brothers Parviz Hakimian, 70, and Khosrow Hakimian, 64, both pleaded guilty to filing false tax returns related to the failure to disclose overseas bank accounts at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn on Wednesday, March 28. Each defendant agreed as part of the guilty plea to pay $7,730,000 in civil penalties.
“As alleged, both Parviz and Khosrow Hakimian utilized overseas bank accounts to conceal millions of dollars in income from the United States government,” said Richard P. Donoghue, United States attorney for the Eastern District of New York. “This office and our law enforcement partners will continue to work together to ensure that individuals who attempt to evade their responsibilities as taxpayers are held accountable.”
James D. Robnett, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, New York, special agent-in-charge, added, “The Hakimian brothers took extreme measures to evade paying millions in taxes, while other taxpayers paid their fair share. This should not and will not be tolerated. As evidenced by the Hakimian brothers pleading guilty today, those that attempt to evade their tax liabilities by hiding U.S. earnings in secret off-shore accounts will be identified and prosecuted.”
As stated in the charging documents, between 2009 and 2011, both defendants maintained undeclared bank accounts at an Israeli private bank headquartered in Tel Aviv. The bank provided private banking services to, and maintained undeclared accounts for, United States taxpayers. Parviz and Khosrow Hakimian each failed to report these accounts, and the interest income from these accounts, in their tax filings.
At sentencing, each defendant faces a maximum of three years in prison.
