CELEBRITY TAX EVASION
Tax Judge Does Hard Time
SUDOKU The irony does not get much better than this. For nearly a decade, Judge Kroupa worked to defraud the American people using her inside knowledge to game the system. She disguised personal expenses as tax-deductible costs associated with her husband’s consulting firm, withheld documents from both her tax preparer and the IRS, and sent misleading information to an IRS employee while under audit. She ran this scheme with her husband for a decade, all while Part of the reason we write these celebrity tax fraud articles is to show that no one is above the law — at least, not when the IRS is concerned. So while the focus of this month’s story may not be a Hollywood star or professional athlete, her brazen abuse of authority from within the tax systemmore than earns her a place among the likes of Willie Nelson and Cristiano Ronaldo. You may not know her name, but former United States Tax Court judge Diane Kroupa is one of the most devious IRS dodgers to ever get caught.
sentencing those who had committed similar or lesser tax crimes.
comes to tax law. But knowing the law was Kroupa’s whole job. She and her husband were willing to bet their knowledge would be enough to let them skirt past the IRS, and they bet wrong. In 2017, the 61-year-old judge was sentenced to 31 months in prison. Her husband and partner in crime received a lighter sentence of 21 months.
All told, the Kroupas squirreled away over $500,000 in falsified personal expenses. These included rent on their second home, wine club dues, jewelry, and other high- end luxuries. The fraudulent activity didn’t stop there. Judge Kroupa failed to report a $44,520 land sale she received from South Dakota. Meanwhile, her husband understated his business’s receipts by roughly $450,000, deducting expenses that had already been reimbursed. Perhaps worse than the fact that this couple defrauded the American people of an astronomical amount of money is the fact that they knew exactly what they were doing. As we’ve seen in the past, many celebrities get themselves in trouble when they put their faith in crackpot advisors or try to play dumb when it
SPICY SALMON TARTARE
This delicious tartare is the perfect healthy alternative to gut-busting game-day dips. Serve alongside your favorite chips or crackers for an appetizer that’s sure to impress.
Ingredients
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1 8-ounce boneless, skinless salmon fillet
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3/4 teaspoon fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated
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1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
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1 1/2 teaspoons fresh cilantro, minced 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh chives, minced 1 1/2 teaspoons grapeseed or vegetable oil Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste Crackers or chips, for serving
1/4 teaspoon lime zest
1/4 cup cucumber, seeded and finely diced 1 1/2 teaspoons jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced 1 1/2 teaspoons shallots, minced
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Directions
1. Place salmon in freezer for 20 minutes to make slicing easier. 2. Meanwhile, prepare other ingredients for mixing. 3. Thinly slice salmon into sheets and cut sheets into strips and strips into cubes. When finished, you should have 1/8-inch cubes. 4. In a mixing bowl, combine salmon with all other ingredients. Season with salt and pepper. 5. Garnish with chips or crackers and serve.
Inspired by Epicurious
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