July 19, 2022

A North Carolina man pleaded guilty today to tax evasion.

According to court documents, Darren Lee Joy, 63, of Matthews, admitted to evading his 2015 individual income taxes by submitting to his employer an IRS Form W-4 falsely stating he was exempt from federal income-tax withholding. He also did not file a 2015 tax return, even though he was legally required to do so based on the amount of income he earned.

Joy will be sentenced at a later date to be determined by the district court. He faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. He also faces a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Dena J. King for the Western District of North Carolina made the announcement.

IRS-Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.

Trial Attorney Brian Flanagan of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Caryn Finley of the Western District of North Carolina are prosecuting the case.