Owner of Mortgage Foreclosure Recuse Firm Pleads Guilty to Tax Fraud

Drew Alia, 40, of Philadelphia, PA pled guilty today to an Information which charged him with willfully failing to file federal income tax returns for tax years 2010 through 2013 before United States District Court Judge Paul Diamond, announced Acting United States Attorney Louis D. Lappen.

Alia, an attorney, according to the Information, operated a home mortgage recuse service which was designed to assist home owners who were facing foreclosure to secure financing in order to prevent a home mortgage foreclosure. The Information alleged that Alia realized gross income of $28,000 in 2010; $107,000 in 2011, $144,000 in 2012, and $71,000 in 2013 all of which he failed to report on federal income tax returns that he was required to file in each of the aforementioned years.

“As we begin the 2017 filing season, American taxpayers are reminded that the term voluntary compliance means that each of us is responsible for filing a tax return when required and for paying the correct amount of tax," said Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Acting SAC Gregory Floyd. "That responsibility should not be taken lightly. Mr. Alia chose to ignore his duty to file and pay taxes; thus he must be held accountable for his actions."

Alia faces a maximum of 4 years of imprisonment, a fine of up to $400,000 and 1 year of supervised release when he sentenced.

The case was investigated by Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation Division Philadelphia Field Office and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Floyd J. Miller.