Buffalo man admits to tax evasion

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A Buffalo man has admitted to tax evasion in federal court.

Dorian Wills, 52, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Court Judge Elizabeth A. Wolford, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Wills faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

Between April 2010 and October 2013, Wills operated a debt-collection business under various names. He lived in the Western District of New York, but spent significant time in Cleveland and Atlanta, where the debt collection companies were located, prosecutors said.

The debt collection companies engaged in illegal debt collection practices such as making threatening and harassing phone calls, and collecting on debt that did not exist or debt to which the debt collection companies did not have title, prosecutors said.

Between 2010 and 2013, none of the debt collection companies filed a tax return. In addition, Wills failed to file his 2011 and 2013 personal income tax returns, despite some of the debt collection companies earning approximately $4 million, prosecutors said.

For the tax year 2012, the defendant filed a personal income tax return but the return did not include income information from any businesses, some of which earned nearly $5 million, prosecutors said.

Wills owes more than $1.2 million in federal income tax for tax years 2011 through 2013.

Wills and the debt collection companies were the subject of a previous civil investigation by the Federal Trade Commission which resulted in an order for permanent injunction in August 2014.

Sentencing for Wills is scheduled for Aug. 23.