Ohio trucking company owner indicted in tax evasion scheme

An Ohio trucking company owner is accused of using multiple entities to conceal income and avoid paying more than $1 million in taxes.

Alice F. Martin, 59, of Louisville, Ohio, was indicted by a federal grand jury on seven counts related to tax evasion, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio.

According to officials, Martin participated in a tax evasion scheme that resulted in over $3.6 million in unreported taxable income between 2013 and 2018, from which she would have owed the IRS approximately $1.2 million.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office describes the scheme:

“According to the indictment, Martin set forth a plan to phase out Martin Logistics after it became burdened with tax debt in order to make herself, and Martin Logistics, uncollectable to the Internal Revenue Service. Martin directed one of her employees to open a new company, TSA Transportation, which would serve as Martin’s nominee trucking business. Beginning January 2013, contracts for trucking services were primarily bid under TSA Transportation’s name, but the income TSA Transportation received was directly deposited into a bank account for another entity that Martin owned and controlled, A.F. Martin. In addition, Martin placed Martin Logistics’ assets, including trucks and trailers, into the name of yet another Martin-owned company, Martin Global.

From around 2013 to 2018, Martin directed approximately $18 million in gross receipts associated with TSA Transportation contracts to be deposited into the A.F. Martin banking account. Despite this, Martin regularly failed to file individual and corporate tax returns related to her trucking entities or and failed to pay the taxes on her income. Martin also made several misrepresentations to the IRS related to the finances of Martin Logistics. After her fraudulent scheme was discovered, Martin caused several more misrepresentations to be made to the IRS related to the filing status of her income tax returns.“

The case was investigated by IRS-Criminal Investigations.