Vasta v. Commissioner

1989 T.C. Memo. 531, 58 T.C.M. 263, 1989 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 531
CourtUnited States Tax Court
DecidedSeptember 27, 1989
DocketDocket No. 30840-87
StatusUnpublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 1989 T.C. Memo. 531 (Vasta v. Commissioner) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Tax Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Vasta v. Commissioner, 1989 T.C. Memo. 531, 58 T.C.M. 263, 1989 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 531 (tax 1989).

Opinion

PHILIP VASTA, Petitioner v. COMMISSIONER OF INTERNAL REVENUE, Respondent
Vasta v. Commissioner
Docket No. 30840-87
United States Tax Court
T.C. Memo 1989-531; 1989 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 531; 58 T.C.M. (CCH) 263; T.C.M. (RIA) 89531;
September 27, 1989
Richard H. Champion, for the petitioner.
Robert N. Trgovich, for the respondent.

TANNENWALD

MEMORANDUM OPINION

TANNENWALD, Judge: Respondent determined a deficiency of $ 3,654,711.00 in petitioner's Federal income tax for the year 1986 and additions to tax of $ 913,678.00 under section 6661, 1 $ 176,827.66 under section 6654(a), and $ 1,827,355.50 and 50 percent of interest on the underlying deficiency under section 6653(b). Respondent has conceded the additions to tax under sections 6653(b). In his answer, respondent asserted as an alternative to the section 6653(b) additions to tax that petitioner was liable for additions to tax under sections 6651(a)(1) and 6653(a). The remaining issues for decision are whether petitioner had unreported income from illegal drug activities during the year in issue and what additions to tax, if any, are appropriate.

All of the facts have been stipulated, and the stipulation of facts and*533 the attached exhibits are incorporated herein by reference.

At the time of the filing of the petition herein, petitioner was incarcerated and maintained his legal residence at the Federal Correctional Institution in Petersburg, Virginia. At all times since the date of his arrest, January 8, 1986, petitioner has been incarcerated either pending trial or serving his sentence.

From January 1, 1985, until January 8, 1986, petitioner was in the business of possessing with intent to distribute, distributing, and selling illegal narcotics at a profit. On January 8, 1986, petitioner was arrested by Federal agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration on drug and other charges. Incident to petitioner's arrest and pursuant to a search warrant, the following items were seized at 408 Argyle Road, Mineola, New York: (a) $ 5,549,653 in United States currency, (b) 6 kilograms of cocaine (having a minimum wholesale value of $ 100,000), and (c) 6 kilograms of heroin (having a minimum wholesale value of $ 1,200,000).

An additional $ 10,000 cash was seized from petitioner at the time of his arrest. On January 8, 1986, prior to his arrest, petitioner went to 408 Argyle Road and removed approximately*534 1/2 kilogram of heroin and $ 250,525 cash which he transferred to third persons.

Petitioner had dominion and control over the above items.

During the taxable year 1986, petitioner had gross receipts of $ 7,320,240 from the illegal sales of narcotics.

On February 27, 1986, respondent issued a Notice of Termination Assessment of Income Tax to petitioner. The Notice stated that petitioner's taxable year was terminated on January 8, 1986, and that on the basis of the currency and narcotics seized during the search, there was tax due in the amount of $ 3,654,711. On April 16, 1986, petitioner filed a civil action in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York to contest the termination assessment. The validity of the assessment was sustained.

Separately, on March 12, 1986, the United States filed a forfeiture action in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York against the currency seized from petitioner and a codefendant at the time of their arrest and against the currency seized at 408 Argyle Road. On or about June 25, 1986, petitioner filed a claim in the forfeiture proceeding requesting that the tax attributable to the*535 termination assessment be paid over to respondent from the currency subject to forfeiture. The United States refused to join petitioner in this effort and opposed petitioner's motion that respondent be made a party in the forfeiture action. On August 29, 1986, petitioner's motion to join respondent as a party to the forfeiture action was denied, and on October 20, 1986, all of the seized currency was ordered forfeited to the United States.

On August 26, 1986, petitioner was indicted on the charges of conspiracy and distribution of controlled substances. On January 14, 1987, petitioner was convicted of narcotics conspiracy in violation of 21 U.S.C. sections 812 and 841. In addition, petitioner pled guilty to one count of distributing cocaine and one count of distributing heroin, both in violation of

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Bluebook (online)
1989 T.C. Memo. 531, 58 T.C.M. 263, 1989 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 531, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/vasta-v-commissioner-tax-1989.