West Long Branch Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Tax Evasion Charges

Matthew Tucci admits to concealing real estate interests and misusing proceeds to avoid paying over $2 million in federal taxes

A New Jersey resident has pleaded guilty to tax evasion charges stemming from actions taken to avoid paying over $2 million in federal income taxes. According to court documents and statements made in federal court, Matthew Tucci, of West Long Branch, entered the plea on June 4, 2025.

The charges relate to Tucci’s tax returns for the 2015 and 2016 tax years, during which he acknowledged owing more than $2 million in taxes. Despite this, he did not fully satisfy his tax obligations. Instead, Tucci purchased multiple properties and engaged in financial maneuvers designed to obscure his ownership of these assets.

In 2017, after receiving official notices from the Internal Revenue Service regarding his outstanding tax liabilities, Tucci transferred ownership of several properties to a business entity registered in another individual’s name. However, investigators determined that he continued to control at least two of the properties, one of which he sold and the other he refinanced. The proceeds from these transactions were used for personal expenditures rather than to address his tax debts.

In 2019, Tucci submitted documents to the IRS falsely claiming no connection to the entity that held the titles to 12 properties, further complicating the federal tax investigation.

Tucci is scheduled to be sentenced on October 9, 2025, in federal district court. He faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison, along with restitution, supervised release, and additional monetary penalties. The final sentence will be determined by a federal judge based on statutory factors and the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.

The case is being investigated by IRS Criminal Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Trial Attorney Catriona Coppler of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Belgiovine for the District of New Jersey are prosecuting the case.

The announcement was made jointly by Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Karen E. Kelly of the Tax Division and Acting U.S. Attorney Alina Habba for the District of New Jersey.