An Apopka man was sentenced to federal prison for tax evasion.
U.S. District Judge Wendy W. Berger recently sentenced James Fabius King, a/k/a Douglas Mesadieu, to 12 months’ confinement for tax evasion, including six months in federal prison and six months of home incarceration. The court also ordered King to pay restitution in the amount of $546,479, which represents the losses to the United States as the result of King’s conduct.
According to court documents, King earned income of $1,758,307 in 2013, for which he had federal income tax due and owed $546,479. Between 2014 and 2017, King used nominee businesses to pay personal expenses and car payments on his $151,890 Audi R8 sports car.
He also transferred title of three luxury cars that he owned – an Aston Martin, Rolls Royce, and Bentley – into the name of a nominee business. King took these actions to evade the seizure of his assets to pay the tax debt.
“The dishonesty exhibited by the defendant is a clear violation of the laws we all abide by,” said Ron Loecker, Special Agent in Charge of IRS-Criminal Investigation’s Tampa Field Office. “While we may not always like it, we each have a responsibility to our country and ultimately to each other. We will not ignore attempts to cheat the tax system for personal gain.”
This Central Florida case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Chauncey A. Bratt. King entered a guilty plea on June 17, 2024.
