Judge sends ex-lawyer to prison for 8 years
NEW YORK — A former Chicago lawyer and Elmhurst resident who participated in what authorities have called the largest tax fraud in history has been sentenced in New York to eight years in prison.
Federal Judge William Pauley sentenced Donna Guerin after she pleaded guilty in September to conspiracy to defraud the United States and tax evasion. The judge said Friday the fraud helped wealthy clients dodge tens of millions of dollars in taxes and called it “breathtaking in its scope and the damage it caused the nation.”
He ordered Guerin to pay $190 million in restitution besides the $1.6 million she agreed to forfeit at her plea.
The onetime Elmhurst resident now lives in Scottsdale, Ariz. She says she’s “truly sorry” for her actions.
The tax shelters were marketed from 1994 through 2004.