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Gray man to spend 18 months in prison for a series of state tax crimes
June 10, 2014
AUGUSTA ? Attorney General Janet T. Mills announced today that Nathanial Dupuis, 41, of Gray, Maine, was sentenced in Kennebec County Superior Court to 4 years with all but 18 months suspended to the Department of Corrections for a series of state tax crimes. The Court also imposed 2 years of probation and ordered Dupuis to pay $86,476 in restitution.
Dupuis pled guilty on August 8, 2013, to multiple counts of Theft by Misapplication, Intentional Sales Tax Evasion, and Failure to Truthfully Collect, Account, and Pay Over Sales Tax. The charges arose from Dupuis? sales as a distributor and salesperson of Kirby vacuums from 2006 through 2008.
Dupuis owned and operated two companies which sold Kirby vacuums to other Kirby vacuum distributors, as well as to the general public. Over the course of almost 2.5 years Dupuis sold approximately $1 million dollars of Kirby vacuums which were subject to sales tax. Dupuis collected sales tax on the purchases and kept the sales tax money for himself for personal and business use. Dupuis also collected sales tax selling the Kirby vacuums beyond the statute of limitations, going back to 2004. Dupuis owes in excess of an additional $80,000 in sales tax for these years.
The State also investigated complaints on behalf of a number of Dupuis? customers, some of whom were senior citizens, for Dupuis? alleged failure to deliver new vacuums or refund the purchase price of the vacuums when refunds were properly requested. As a result of the State?s investigation, Dupuis made refunds to three of these customers.
Dupuis also admitted that while he was awaiting sentencing, he sold Kirby vacuums in violation of a provision under a deferred sentencing agreement and failed to comply with an interim restitution repayment plan.
This case represents the continued effort by Maine Revenue Services and the Office of the Maine Attorney General to halt and prevent tax and consumer fraud.
Attorney General Mills commented, ?My Office will continue to work with other state agencies to pursue those who would cheat the government and those who steal public resources, no matter who or where they are or what they do for work. Similarly, my Office will continue to be vigilant in pursuing businesses, both large and small, that defraud Maine consumers.?
This case was investigated by the Portland Police Department, Cape Elizabeth Police Department, and Maine Revenue Services? Criminal Investigations Unit. Attorney General Mills praised the work of Assistant Attorney General Gregg D. Bernstein, who handled this matter for the Criminal Division of the Maine Attorney General?s Office.
