2002-11-15 -- Nunes, Mario -- Guilty Plea -- News Release

Priest Admits Evading Income Taxes on $68,000 in Extra Income

NEWARK - A Newark priest admitted today that he engaged in tax evasion by failing to report more than $68,000 in income, U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Christie announced.

Mario O. Nunes, 64, the pastor of Our Lady of Fatima Roman Catholic Church in the Ironbound section of Newark, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Chief Judge John W. Bissell to a one-count Information charging tax evasion. When he is sentenced, Nunes faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine.

Sentencing was scheduled for Feb. 6 at 9:30 a.m.

As set forth in the Information, Nunes had obtained $68,811 in income that was in addition to the salary paid to him by Our Lady of Fatima Church.

Nunes admitted during his plea hearing that, when filing his federal income tax return for the 2000 tax year, he did not report the $68,811 in income. The income tax owing on this unreported income was $16,965.

Nunes' attorney, Joseph Hayden, said during the hearing that Nunes has paid all back taxes, interest and penalties to the Internal Revenue Service.

Christie credited Special Agents of Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation section, under the direction of Anne D. Fahy, Special Agent in Charge; and Inspectors from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, under the direction of Ronald C. Walker, Acting Inspector in Charge, for developing the case against Nunes.

The Government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Bohdan Vitvitsky, of the U.S. Attorney's Commercial Crimes Unit in Newark.

Under U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, Judge Bissell will determine Nunes' actual sentence based upon a formula that takes into account the severity and characteristics of the offense, and the defendant's criminal record.

Parole has been abolished in the federal system. Under Sentencing Guidelines, defendants who are given custodial terms must serve nearly all that time.

Under an Information, a defendant waives the right to have his case presented to a Federal Grand Jury and, instead, pleads guilty to charges presented by the Government.

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Defense Counsel: Joseph A. Hayden, Esq. of Roseland and Lawrence S. Horn, Esq. of Newark.