Rhode Island Legislator Sentenced for Underpaying Tax for His Adjuster Firm

January 7, 2013

The deputy speaker of the Rhode Island House of Representatives has been sentenced to serve time in federal prison for tax fraud involving his insurance adjuster firm.

Rep. John McCauley — the owner and co-operator of McCauley and L’Europa Public Adjusters LLC and PIA Restoration LLC and longtime Rhode Island state legislator — was sentenced on Dec. 21 to 27 months in federal prison for conspiracy to defraud the United States of more than $500,000 and filing false tax returns.

U.S. District Court Chief Judge Mary Lisi also ordered McCauley to serve 3 years of supervised release upon completion of his prison term and to pay a fine of $10,000.

McCauley’s business partner, William L’Europa, has been similarly charged and is scheduled to be sentenced next month.

At the time of their guilty pleas in September 2012, McCauley and L’Europa admitted to the court that they underreported business receipts for tax years 2007 – 2010 by nearly $1.8 million dollars. This underreporting resulted in the underpayment of federal taxes to the Internal Revenue Service of more than $500,000, according to the announcement from the United States attorney’s office in Rhode Island.