Massachusetts may have its very own Auric Goldfinger.
Yesterday in U.S. District Court, Claudio Poles, 78, of Dorchester, pleaded guilty to four counts of filing false tax returns.
Claudio is co-owner of a plumbing and heating supply company in Mattapan. Between 2019 and 2022, he allegedly purchased more than $10 million dollars worth of gold and silver bullion. He then wrote off the precious metals as a legitimate business expense.
According to a press release from from the U.S. District Attorney’s office in Boston,
To conceal the nature of the purchases he made from the company’s bank accounts, Poles described the purchases, in the memo section of the checks, as being for boilers, materials, and plumbing and heating supplies.
His sentencing is scheduled for August 9, 2024. Claudio could receive up to three years in federal prison for the false filings.