An x’s and o’s political guy with deep Hudson ties was charged today with tax evasion, corrupt interference with the administration of the Internal Revenue laws, and failure to file a federal tax return, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.

Thomas Bertoli, 62, of Matawan (and originally from North Bergen), has been charged by complaint with two counts of tax evasion, one count of corrupt interference with the administration of the Internal Revenue laws, and one count of failure to file a tax return.  A summons was issued for Bertoli – who ran Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop’s successful 2013 campaign and had a rep as a street savvy guy who tracked votes on a blackboard with chalk at headquarters – to appear before a United States Magistrate Judge at a time to be scheduled.

For some context, check out the Insider iLine here.

According to the complaint:

Defendant Bertoli operated the following businesses: The Doormen Inc.; City Street Associates LLC, a/k/a CSA LLC; and Urban Logistics LLC. Individually and through his companies, Bertoli obtained payments from clients for services provided, including payments from developers and construction firms for expediting services on real estate development and construction projects, primarily in Jersey City, New Jersey; and payments from political campaigns for political consulting services in New Jersey. Expediting in the construction industry typically refers to facilitating the acquisition of building permits and other government agency approvals required for the completion of real estate projects.

Bertoli obtained hundreds of thousands of dollars in gross receipts for calendar years 2009 to 2016. Bertoli had not, as of April 18, 2017, filed federal tax returns or paid any of the taxes due, other than a $5,000 nominal payment in September 2014, for those years. He concealed and attempted to conceal from the IRS his income and assets through various means; Bertoli cashed at check cashers payments from his clients, made false and fraudulent statements to the IRS, and used the Urban Logistics bank account for personal expenditures.

Bertoli is charged with tax evasion for calendar years 2009 to 2013 and evasion of assessment of taxes for calendar year 2014. He also is charged with corrupt interference with the administration of the Internal Revenue laws and failing to file a tax return for calendar year 2013.

Each charge of tax evasion carries a maximum potential penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The charge of corrupt interference with the administration of the Internal Revenue laws carries a maximum potential penalty of three years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The charge of failing to file a tax return carries a maximum potential penalty of one year in prison and a $100,000 fine.

U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Laura J. Perry and special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Douglas Korneski in Newark, with the investigation leading to today’s charges.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys J Fortier Imbert and Jihee G. Suh of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Special Prosecutions Division.

The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

For more on this case, please check out Jerry DeMarco’s piece here.