Springfield Man Avoided 5 Years of Taxes, Grossing $1.6M: Feds

SPRINGFIELD, NJ — A Springfield man was indicted after failing to file his taxes from 2014 to 2018 and falsely claiming to his employer to be completely exempt from federal taxes, according to the U.S. Attorney's office.

Jonathan Dean Michael, 52, of Springfield, worked as a mechanic for a port-operating company in New Jersey. Between the same five-year time period he took home a total gross income of $1,600,000, including $1,400,000 from his employer, officials say.

In February of 2014, Michael submitted a W-4 form to his employer saying he was tax-exempt, and in November 2016, after the IRS told the company to start withholding taxes, he doubled down on his claim, writing a letter to the company assuring the form was correct.

Michael made his first court appearance on Monday, over videoconference. He is charged with one count of tax evasion, from 2014 through 2018, and five counts of failing to file tax returns during the same period.

He can face a maximum of five years for tax evasion and one year per count of failing to file tax returns.