East Lyme Business Owner Sentenced In False Tax Return Case, Prosecutors Say

EAST LYME, CT — An East Lyme woman was sentenced for underreporting taxes associated with her business, according to a statement from prosecutors.

Analia Mountzoures, 49, was sentenced to three years of probation.

According to prosecutors, Mountzores operated a cleaning business with about 10 employees. The cleaning service had more than 200 commercial and residential clients in Southeastern Connecticut.

From 2018 to 2023, Mountzoures often paid her employees in cash. She also did not report their wages to the state or federal government, did not file required IRS forms related to her employees, did not issue W-2 forms, did not withhold employee taxes as required, and did not pay federal employment taxes and withholding, prosecutors said.

She also provided her tax return preparer with false information that resulted in personal tax returns that significantly underreported her gross receipts, income, and taxes due and owing, according to prosecutors.

In 2023, for example, Mountzoures reported gross receipts of $12,095 and total taxes before credits as $1,450. In fact, her gross receipts were approximately $628,072 and the tax due was approximately $96,650, prosecutors said.

Mountzoures pleaded guilty in April to aiding and assisting a false tax return.

A judge ordered Mountzoures to pay restitution of $380,167.60 to the IRS.