A Cobb County business owner pleaded guilty to trying to bribe an Internal Revenue Service agent with money to reduce his tax burden, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia said.
Magdaleno Garcia Alonso, who owns Acworth Georgia Concrete, Inc., met with the IRS agent who audited his tax returns in 2015 and 2016, and offered her cash if she reduced the amount of money he owed to the government. The agent informed authorities about the attempted bribe, and the feds set up an operation to record the business owner outlining his proposal.
In September 2018, the agent met Alonso at a fast food restaurant in Cobb County, and the defendant was recorded as saying he’d put up $30,000 in cash if the IRS would reduce the amount of back taxes owed from $345,000 to $100,000.
Alonso penned an agreement that outlined the terms of the payment, and the agent agreed to the deal. The business owner gave the agent $20,000 in cash up front, and agreed to provide the rest of the money at a later date. On Nov. 5, he was arrested when he showed up to give the agent another $5,000.
“Garcia attempted to buy his way out of paying his taxes by bribing an IRS revenue agent,” said U.S. Attorney Bjay Pak. “As expected, the agent reported his illegal offer – and now Garcia must answer for his crimes.”
Alonso also told federal prosecutors that he is a Mexican citizen illegally living in the United States, and agreed to be sent back to his home country once he completes his prison sentence.
READ| Feds accused Cobb businessman of trying to bribe IRS agent
