HONOLULU (AP) — A Honolulu attorney has been sentenced to 27 months in prison and fined $5,000 for money laundering and income tax violations. U.S. District Judge Alan Kay on Monday imposed the sentence on Stacy Moniz. Moniz, who is
HONOLULU (AP) — A Honolulu attorney has been sentenced to 27 months in prison
and fined $5,000 for money laundering and income tax violations.
U.S.
District Judge Alan Kay on Monday imposed the sentence on Stacy
Moniz.
Moniz, who is originally from Kaua’i, pleaded guilty to three of the
charges in October 1998, but later was allowed to withdraw his guilty plea. He
was convicted of all six charges by a federal jury last December.
U.S.
Attorney Steven Alm said Moniz defrauded a client of $36.630 and disguised the
receipt of the money as a loan. He then did not report the receipt of the money
on his 1994 tax return and made no payments on the loan.
Alm said Moniz
also received a $15,000 cash payment from a client, failed to report its
receipt to the Internal Revenue Service, and deliberately deposited the sums in
three different transactions to avoid having the bank file a currency
transaction report. Certain businesses, including attorneys, are required to
file reports with the IRS when more than $10,000 cash is received.
“People
place their trust in their attorneys. They have the right to be treated
fairly,” Alm said.
“Mr. Moniz took advantage of his client, he tried to
cover it up, and then he lied about it. Now he’s going to federal prison,” Alm
said.
