Politics & Government

Franchise Tax Board Says Beverly Hills Man Top Tax Dodger in California

Sherman Mazur owes the state a whopping $12.4 million in back-due taxes.

BEVERLY HILLS, CA -- With the deadline to file taxes just around the corner, the state of California decided to shame some deadbeat taxpayers.

Twice a year, in April and October, the state Franchise Tax Board publishes a list of the top tax dodgers in the state, and this year a Beverly Hills man tops the list.

In its list of the "Top 500 Delinquent Taxpayers," the FTB includes individuals as well as businesses that have not paid their taxes. Collectively these deadbeat owes that state $266 million in income taxes.

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Top of the list is Sherman Mazur of Beverly Hills. He owes the state a whopping 12,414,480.19. A lien has been placed on him since 2013, according to the FTB.

Mazur has been in financial trouble with the government before. In 2013, he was charged, along with 13 others, in a multi-million dollar stock-manipulation scheme. The case was dismissed in 2014 because of lack of admissible evidence.

Find out what's happening in Beverly Hillsfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

In 1993, Mazur was convicted of bankruptcy fraud and tax evasion and sentenced to six years in prison.

Manzur is not the only Beverly Hills resident on the list. Former chiropractor Faramarz F. Khalili is also on the list, owing 1,213,992.74. As is Renee M. Reichert ($501,517.57), Sylvester K. Stewart ($499,678.35), Mehran Haghani ($432,732.09) and Sinbad Adkins ($299,609.61).

Smudge Inc. is the only Beverly Hills company to make the list, owing $483,610.38.

Since the list's inception in 2007, California has collected more than $507 million from delinquent taxpayers.

Delinquent taxpayers were notified about their delinquency 30 days before their names were placed on the list.

Click here to view the complete list.

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