Press Release  Former Accountant Charged in Connection With Scheme to Hide Wareham Company’s Taxable Sales From the State

BOSTON — The former accountant of a Wareham asphalt company has been charged in connection with a scheme to hide the company’s taxable sales by falsifying financial records with the state’s Department of Revenue (DOR), Attorney General Maura Healey announced today.

Christopher Polito, 37, of Dedham, was arraigned Monday in Suffolk Superior Court and on the charges of Obstructing the Administration of the DOR (one count), Making a False Statement to the DOR (one count), and Conspiracy (two counts). He was indicted on the charges by a Suffolk County Grand Jury on Aug. 19, and is due back in court on Dec. 15 for a pretrial conference.

Polito was formerly employed as an accountant by Rochester Bituminous Products Inc., (Rochester). According to the AG’s investigation, following a referral from the DOR, in 2015 Polito submitted numerous false documents to the DOR in an effort to obstruct an audit of its business from 2011 to 2013, and reduce the total taxable sales the company made during that time period. The AG’s Office specifically alleges that Polito altered the documents to appear as though sales were made to entities that are exempt from the state’s 6.25 percent sales tax.

State law exempts certain entities from paying the sales tax including federal and state government entities, as well as religious, scientific, charitable or educational organizations. The AG’s Office alleges sales Polito detailed in the falsified documents were made to non-exempt private entities.

This investigation is ongoing. These charges are allegations and defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

This case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant Attorney General Bensen Solivan of the DOR and Assistant Attorney General Edward A Beagan of the AG’s White Collar and Public Integrity Division with assistance from investigators from the DOR’s Criminal Investigations Bureau.

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