Houma Man Sentenced for failure to Account for and Pay Federal Taxes

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – RENE CLEMENT (“CLEMENT”), age 76, of Houma, Louisiana, was sentenced on August 25, 2023  in United States District Court for failing to account for and pay federal income taxes and Federal Insurance Contributions Act (“FICA”) taxes, in violation of Title 26, United States Code, Section 7202, announced United States Attorney Duane A. Evans.

According to court documents, CLEMENT owned a company named Vinyl Products, LLC.  Between 2014 and 2018, CLEMENT withheld taxes from employees of Vinyl Products but kept the money instead of paying it to the IRS.  In total, CLEMENT failed to pay approximately $750,368.68 in taxes for Vinyl Products. 

U.S. District Court Judge Ivan L.R. Lemelle sentenced CLEMENT to four years of probation, during which time he must complete seventy-five hours of unpaid community service.  CLEMENT was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $28,809.73.  Judge Lemelle also imposed a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.00.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office would  like to acknowledge the work of the Internal Revenue Service on this matter. The prosecution of this case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Maria Carboni of the Financial Crimes Unit.