Former Construction Manager Pleads Guilty To Tax Evasion In Connection With Bribery Scheme

Defendant, Awaiting Sentencing in State Bribery Case, Pleads Guilty to Evading Taxes on Those Bribes

  Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that MICHAEL CAMPANA, a construction manager for a global financial firm, pled guilty today to charges of evading taxes on more than $350,000 in bribes he received from building sub-contractors.  The bribes included payments of more than $75,000 to cover expenses associated with CAMPANA’s wedding.  CAMPANA is scheduled to be sentenced on March 6, 2020, before United States District Judge Denise Cote.  Thereafter, he also faces sentencing in New York State court on money laundering charges for his participation in the bribery scheme.

U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said:  “Bribery and tax evasion often go hand-in-hand, forcing both the bribery victims and the taxpaying public to unfairly bear the hidden costs of corruption.  Today, Michael Campana admitted to federal tax evasion for failing to report his income from an illegal bribery scheme to which he already pled guilty.”

According to the criminal Information filed today, as well as other public documents and today’s court proceeding:

Between 2013 and 2017, CAMPANA was a construction manager for a global financial firm engaged in various building projects in New York City and elsewhere.  He and others participated in a scheme to obtain bribes from construction sub-contractors, who paid bribes in exchange for being awarded various construction contracts and sub-contracts.  In all, CAMPANA received bribes in excess of $350,000 between 2014 and 2017.  Some of those bribes related to CAMPANA’s 2017 wedding, including payments of approximately $40,000 from sub-contractors directly to a catering hall in New Jersey, over $13,000 directly to a photography studio, and over $23,000 directly to a travel agent for airline tickets purchased in connection with CAMPANA’s honeymoon.  Other payments, totaling more than $100,000, were made in cash, which CAMPANA stashed in a safe.  CAMPANA evaded federal income tax on this bribery income, by failing to declare it on his income tax returns for the years 2014 through 2017.

In connection with the underlying bribery scheme, the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office charged CAMPANA and 13 others in December 2018 with numerous felonies, including charges of conspiracy, commercial bribery, and money laundering.  Last week, on November 19, CAMPANA pled guilty in the state court case to money laundering in the third degree.  (New York v. Guzzone, et al., case no. 04037-2018 (N.Y. Sup. Ct.), count 44).  He is awaiting sentencing in that case as well. 

CAMPANA, 33, of Tuckahoe, New York, pled guilty today to a single count of tax evasion.  That charge carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison, a maximum fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense, and an order of restitution.  The maximum potential sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.           

Mr. Berman praised the excellent work of the Internal Revenue Service.