Rochester Financial Services VP Pleads To Tax Charge

• by New York State Department of Taxation and Finance

ALBANY, NY (12/21/2009)(readMedia)-- New York State Department of Taxation and Finance Acting Commissioner Jamie Woodward announced that Joseph P. Ryan, vice president for Brighton Securities, a stock brokerage and financial services firm in Rochester, pled guilty today in Albany City Court to one misdemeanor charge of failing to file a tax return.

Ryan, 52, who resides at 37 Ellicott Street, Batavia, had been charged with class E felony counts of failing to file personal income tax returns for tax years 2004 through 2008.

Ryan was sentenced to a one-year conditional discharge and a fine of $5,000. Prior to the plea, Ryan filed the delinquent returns for tax years 2004 through 2008 and paid the state $57,749 in back taxes, interest and penalties.

Ryan's delinquencies were uncovered by the Special Investigations Unit of the Department's Rochester District Office in the process of identifying professionals who had neglected to file personal income tax returns.

Acting Commissioner Woodward said, "Tax cheats can be found among all professions, from blue collar workers to high-wage earners in the professional fields. Regardless of how they cheat, these scofflaws force all other New Yorkers to shoulder a greater share of the tax burden, taxes that pay for essential services such as health care, education and transportation. The Tax Department is committed to pursuing all tax cheats so that every New Yorker pays their fair share.

"I thank New York State Attorney General Andrew Cuomo and his staff for their aggressive prosecution of this case and others like it.

"The Department offers programs such as the Voluntary Disclosure and Compliance Program to encourage delinquent taxpayers to become compliant without facing criminal prosecution or civil penalty. It is hoped that this case will encourage such taxpayers to come forward and satisfy their tax obligation. For more information about these programs, go to the department's website at www.nystax.gov."

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