YOUNGSTOWN - The owners of a Youngstown construction and excavation company were named Wednesday in a 37-count indictment charging them with conspiracy and making false statements, along with a series of tax violations.
Scott Bonamase, 47, of Streetsboro, and David Bonamase, 51, of Canfield, conspired to avoid paying more than $279,000 in taxes, according to the indictment.
They were charged with conspiracy, willful failure to collect or pay over tax, filing false tax returns and false statements to government agents in connection with their operation of A. Bonamase Contracting Inc.
The indictment alleges that A. Bonamase Contracting Inc. employed 10 to 25 employees for the years 2006 through 2009. During that time, Scott Bonamase willfully under-reported employee gross wages to the Internal Revenue Service, and Scott and David Bonamase omitted payments to employees in the books and records of the company, according to the indictment.
The indictment also alleges that the company had contracts with government agencies that required certified payroll reports to verify that they were paying the prevailing wage. Scott and David Bonamase willfully falsified, signed and submitted certified payroll reports to the government, according to the charges. Scott and David Bonamase certified that their employees were being paid the prevailing when, in fact, they were paid less, according to the indictment.
The indictment is a result of an investigation conducted by the United States Department of Labor and Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of the Inspector General and the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation agents.