Ithaca lawyer could face jail for tax conviction

Fingerlakes1.com ^ | 9.30.05 | Deb Miller

[Behind Liberal Lines]

SYRACUSE — Ithaca attorney William P. Sullivan, Jr., 62, of 417 North Aurora St., pleaded guilty Thursday to four counts of failing to file his federal income tax returns for the years 1998, 1999, 2000 and 2001, federal officials said.

Sullivan's guilty pleas were entered in U.S. District Court, Syracuse, before U.S. Magistrate Judge George H. Lowe.

By his plea, Sullivan admitted that he failed to file his federal income tax returns for those four years. By his plea, he also admitted that the total taxes owed to the IRS for those four years was $34,691.

Sullivan faces up to one year in jail and a possible fine of $25,000 on each of the four counts. Sentencing is scheduled for March 1, 2006.

[Behind Liberal Lines]

Ithaca is the City of Evil.

[Behind Liberal Lines]

City of Evil bump:

[Tijeras_Slim]

So was this symbolic rage against the war machine, or is he just a liberal cheapa$$?

[jocon307]

"...or is he just a liberal cheapa$$?"

Well, he's pretty cheap if he's facing jail and a $100,000 fine over not paying $34,000 in taxes.

[cynicom]

This cannot be true..It would be a breach of professional ethics to not pay his taxes.

[governsleastgovernsbest]

Sullivan is a Republican.

I'm sure this was no symbolic statement, but simply the outcome of a very messy life and mind. I've seen his desk.

[Tijeras_Slim]

Thanks for the clarification.

[governsleastgovernsbest]

What's ironic is that Sullivan has been convicted, and faces jail time, while many Ithaca "anti-war tax resisters" proudly flaunt their refusal to pay taxes and have done so with impunity.

[Behind Liberal Lines]

I seem to recall that Sullivan was suspended/disbarred temporarily a few years ago, for irregularities with client funds.

Republican or not, if that's true, I have no sympathy for him, politics aside.

[Vaquero]

the countryside surrounding Ithaca pretty much has a rural Red State mentality....its just the city itself thats so left leaning.....

Shame.

[governsleastgovernsbest]

Again, please note that Sullivan is a Republican. He did this not to protest anything, but because he is a disorganized, eccentric man.

[NativeNewYorker]

the total taxes owed to the IRS for those four years was $34,691

Not exactly a huge amount by current standards, especially spread over FOUR years....