UPDATED: Framingham Health Chair, Wife Owe IRS More Than $8,000 in Taxes

Framingham Health Board Chair Michael R. Hugo, and his wife School Committee Chair Beverly Hugo, owe more than $8,000 to the Internal Revenue Service, according to the latest issue of Banker & Tradesman.

Banker & Tradesman reported a federal tax lien has been placed on the couple’s Catherine Road home, as the couple owe $8,189. Several Patch readers forwarded the listing in the publication to Patch last weekend.

The federal tax lien is for the period ending Dec. 31, 2014.

According to a document filed with the Southern Middlesex Registry of Deeds, the taxes are due for a small business/self-employment tax.

Patch emailed Ms. Hugo Tuesday morning for comment before publication of this report.

Mr. Hugo posted a response to Facebook this afternoon.

“First, I want to thank those who have pointed out that many of us can have financial difficulties, and, while this is really not anyone’s business but Beverly’s and mine, I DO want to set the record straight, because she is elected, and I am a town official,” wrote Hugo on Framingham Patch Facebook. “I think I owe that to those who read this post. Had Ms. Petroni attempted to reach Beverly or me prior to running this “story,” she would have learned the facts and reported the true story, if she reported any story at all.”

“Those who know me, know that I am an environmental attorney. I represent cancer victims against chemical companies, and people harmed by negligently made and promoted drugs. There are not very many firms in this country that will stand up to Pfizer, Monsanto and Dow. So, I generally associate with large out-of-state firms, professionally. I was working for a California based firm, Khorrami Boucher, LLP, and maintained an office in Wellesley during the relevant period. I was paid twice a month,” wrote Hugo. “What I had no idea about, was the fact that the controlling partner, Shawn Khorrami, was deducting taxes, health insurance, etc. from our pay, but NOT paying the insurance company or the IRS! The pay checks stopped in June of 2014. I went over 9 months without receiving a paycheck at all. While this sounds stupid, I was being promised a huge retroactive pay with a bonus “as soon as the firm secured its credit line.” This worked for a while, until I was in it so far, that I knew that if I left, the firm would NEVER pay me, and I could not afford that. So I stayed, believing false promises, naively.”

Hugo wrote “In March of 2015, I learned that Mr. Khorrami was misappropriating client money, and 2.5 hours after learning this, I resigned and demanded that my name be pulled off the firm, letterhead and web pages. I am now practicing law from my house, still representing people who are dead or dying from toxic exposures, and working 12-18 hours/day to keep my clients cases moving forward.”

Hugo wrote: “If you want to see the corroboration, Google Shawn Khorrami, or click this link, and read about his bar status, or this link, which appeared about a week or so after I left the firm: The tax situation has left us in turmoil as a family with a $63,000/year college student, a bank that likes to collect mortgage payments, a town that likes real estate taxed to keep going (all of which are current by the way). The fact that Bev and I get to serve our Town as elected and appointed officials is the most sane and rewarding part of Beverly’s and my day!”

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Report has been updated from its originally posting today.