Business Owner Pleads Guilty to $3.5 Million Payroll Tax Evasion Scheme

Walter Hass admits to using company funds for personal luxury purchases instead of payroll taxes.

Walter Hass, 62, of Hewitt, New Jersey, pleaded guilty today to a charge of failing to pay payroll taxes, amounting to an estimated $3.5 million in unpaid taxes, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced. The plea was entered before U.S. District Judge Evelyn Padin in Newark federal court.

Hass, the owner and operator of a shipping and logistics company based in Oakland, New Jersey, admitted to failing to collect, account for, and remit payroll taxes from 2014 to 2022. Operating under various company names over the years, he instead diverted these funds for personal expenditures, which reportedly included luxury vehicles such as Aston Martins and McLarens, high-end jewelry and designer clothing, tickets to sporting events, vacations, home renovations, watercraft, and high-end dining.

The charge carries a potential penalty of up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine or twice the financial gain or loss resulting from the offense. Sentencing is scheduled for April 22, 2025.

The investigation was conducted by special agents from IRS – Criminal Investigation, led by Special Agent in Charge Jenifer L. Piovesan. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Katherine Calle and Edeli Rivera are representing the government in this case.