Contact Palm Beach Business.com by phone: 561 450-8258. By email.

Landscaper Cioffi gets prison for tax charges

By Palm Beach Business.com

WEST PALM BEACH — A Loxahatchee landscaper is heading off to prison after pleading guilty to tax charges.

Federal Judge Daniel T.K. Hurley on Wednesday sentenced  Michael J. Cioffi, of Loxahatchee to two years in prison and to pay restitution of nearly $538,000 for failing to pay payroll taxes and filing a false tax return. Cioffi also must serve three years of supervised release after his prison term.

Chioffi, operator of Mike Cioffi Lawn Service,  pleaded guilty to the two charges back in May.
Cioffi’s firm specialized in commercial contracts and employed about 30 workers. According to court records, in 2005 and 2006 Chioffi failed filed quarterly tax returns with the IRS and failed to withhold and pay social security and income taxes for his employees as he was legally required to do.

To compound Chioffi’s legal problems, he filed a personal tax return in 2006 that showed gross receipts for his business of $782,000 when he actually pulled in more than $2 million.