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June 25, 2020

Old Saybrook business owner pleads guilty to tax evasion

PHOTO | Pixabay.com
By Michelle Tuccitto Sullo

The owner of an Old Saybrook construction company pleaded guilty Wednesday to one count of tax evasion.

Kevin Braza, 48, of Westbrook, is scheduled to be sentenced before U.S. District Court Judge Janet C. Hall on Sept. 16, when he faces up to five years of imprisonment.

Sentencing guidelines outlined in a plea agreement, however, show Braza is expected to be sentenced to between 12 and 18 months of confinement, with at least half of that to include imprisonment. Additionally, he faces a fine range of $5,500 to $55,000, and any sentence will be followed by a term of supervised release of one to three years, according to the agreement.

Braza owns and operates K.E. Braza Construction, a construction and excavation business based at 3 Custom Drive in Old Saybrook. According to its website, it is a family-owned and -operated business that has done work throughout the state for the past 25 years. It specializes in seawall construction, excavation management, foundation repair and demolition work. The company recently repaired jetties in Westbrook, for example.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s office, Braza failed to report to the Internal Revenue Service approximately $565,161 in income he earned through his business and by gambling. The money was earned over multiple tax years, from 2013 through 2017. 

By not reporting these earnings, Braza failed to pay $184,579 in income taxes that he owed to the federal government, prosecutors said. 

Braza has already paid full restitution, including penalties and interest, of $394,474. He is currently free on a $50,000 bond pending his sentencing. Braza entered his plea via a videoconference due to the coronavirus pandemic. 

Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Cherry is prosecuting the case, which was investigated by the IRS’ Criminal Investigation Division.

Attorney Thomas Murphy of the Hartford law firm of Cowdery & Murphy is representing Braza.

“Kevin Braza is a hard-working person who has admitted his wrongdoing, and has responded by paying back all the taxes, interest, and penalties owed to the IRS," Murphy said via email Thursday. "He is committed to proving that this misstep does not define who he really is.” 

Contact Michelle Tuccitto Sullo at msullo@newhavenbiz.com.

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