EDC man pleads guilt to tax evasion
An El Dorado County businessman this week admitted he cheated on taxes.
Briant Benson did not file income tax returns for 2004, 2005 and 2006, despite having incomes of $870,000 $838,000 and $206,000, respectively.
The 59-year-old from El Dorado Hills was the president and CEO of multiple medical device companies.
According to court documents, Benson also used corporate funds to support his lavish lifestyle such as multimillion dollar homes, jewelry and furniture, and for lavish travel accommodations such as luxury hotels, private jets, and limousines. Benson also used corporate funds to pay over half a million dollars in gambling debt.
Benson is scheduled to be sentenced Dec. 2. He faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a $100,000 fine.
— Lake Tahoe News staff report
It would be interesting to know why this particular individual was prosecuted while any objective reading of the problem of tax evasion would lead any honest person to the conclusion that there are probably millions of tax evaders in our country.