A 78-year-old man from Mattapan, who co-owned a plumbing and heating supply company, is facing accusations of covering up purchases of over $10 million worth of gold and silver bars using the company’s money. Claudio Poles, from Dorchester, has been charged with four counts of filing false tax returns in connection with this scheme.
Court documents reveal that between 2019 and 2022, Poles hired a tax preparer to file tax returns for the company, Economy Plumbing and Heating Supply Company. However, he allegedly did not report all of the company’s gross plumbing receipts, leading to the underreporting of business receipts on tax forms. This resulted in Poles using excess receipts to purchase large amounts of precious metals from a bullion dealer, all while falsely reporting losses and omitting significant income from the purchase of the bars on tax forms.
The U.S. attorney’s office has hinted at a possible plea deal in this case, but no official confirmation has been provided by either Poles’ attorney or the prosecuting office. If convicted of all four counts, Poles could face a maximum sentence of 12 years in prison, with each charge carrying a sentence of up to three years.
