{"id":2702,"date":"2019-01-10T17:43:56","date_gmt":"2019-01-10T22:43:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/shorebeat.com\/tomsriver\/?p=2702"},"modified":"2019-01-10T19:17:05","modified_gmt":"2019-01-11T00:17:05","slug":"gilmore-indicted-ocean-county-gop-chair-charged-with-tax-evasion-loan-violations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/shorebeat.com\/tomsriver\/2019\/01\/gilmore-indicted-ocean-county-gop-chair-charged-with-tax-evasion-loan-violations\/","title":{"rendered":"GILMORE INDICTED: Ocean County GOP Chair Charged With Tax Evasion, Loan Violations"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Ocean<\/a>

Ocean County GOP Chairman George R. Gilmore walks with Gov. Chris Christie on the Seaside Heights boardwalk. (Photo: Daniel Nee)<\/p><\/div>\n

Considered one of the most powerful political figures in New Jersey, George Gilmore, the Ocean County Republican chairman, was indicted Thursday on charges of tax evasion, failure to pay taxes and making false statements on the loan application.<\/p>\n

The indictment was announced by the office of the United States Attorney for the district of New Jersey. The indictment accuses Gilmore of\u00a0evasion of taxes totaling more than $1 million; filing false income tax returns; failing to pay over payroll taxes to the IRS; and making false statements on a bank loan application, First Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig announced.<\/p>\n

Gilmore, 69, of Toms River, was charged in a six-count indictment with one count of income tax evasion for calendar years 2013, 2014, and 2015; two counts of filing false tax returns for calendar years 2013 and 2014; failing to collect, account for, and pay over payroll taxes for two quarters in 2016, and making false statements on a 2015 loan application submitted to OceanFirst Bank.<\/p>\n

According to documents filed in the case,\u00a0Gilmore worked as an equity partner and shareholder at Gilmore & Monahan, a law firm in Toms River that represents a slew of local municipalities, where he exercised primary control over the firm\u2019s financial affairs. Gilmore filed on behalf of himself and his spouse federal income tax returns declaring that he owed $493,526 for calendar year 2013, $321,470 for 2014, and $311,287 for 2015. Despite admitting that he owed taxes for each of these years, Gilmore made no estimated tax payments and failed to pay the federal individual income taxes that he owed, the statement said.<\/p>\n

\u201cRather, between January 2014 and December 2016, Gilmore spent more than $2.5 million on personal expenses, including substantial home remodeling costs, vacations, and the acquisition of antiques, artwork, and collectibles,\u201d prosecutors said. \u201cBy Dec. 31, 2016, based on the tax due and owing that Gilmore reported on the returns, he owed the IRS $1,520,329 in taxes, penalties, and interest.\u201d<\/p>\n

Prosecutors allege Gilmore\u00a0concealed information from the IRS and \u201cfalsely classified income, made false and misleading statements to IRS personnel, and filed false tax returns that materially understated the true amount of income that he received from the law firm.\u201d<\/p>\n

The specific allegations are:<\/p>\n