Matthew Taylor is heading to ClubFed for a 7 1/2 year of vacation from his previous job as an art thief and tax evader. It’s what he did to try to hide his crime that makes this case interesting.
First, Mr. Taylor stole paintings from the Los Angeles Fine Art Gallery including a Granville Redmond work titled “Seascape at Twilight.” He then sold the painting to a different gallery. He didn’t pay tax on his income; remember, illegal income is just as taxable as legal income.
What did he do to hide his income? He used false social security numbers to hide money in bank accounts, he used multiple post office boxes to open other post office boxes, and he sent money to an offshore account. Those are typical strategies.
It’s a couple of other things he did that grabbed my attention. He set up phony companies with names similar to other companies (Microsaft, anyone?). He blamed his mother for all his bank accounts and tax troubles…even though she was in failing health.
None of these strategies were successful, as time ran out on Mr. Taylor. He’ll get to enjoy life on the inside, and he must also make restitution of $1.2 million.
