A resident of South Gate, California, who formerly worked for Ikon Office Solutions West, Inc., a provider of office supplies and related services, pleaded guilty today to making a false statement on his 2009 tax return.
Eduardo C. Partida, 42, entered his guilty plea in federal court before United States District Judge Philip S. Gutierrez. Partida pled guilty to a one-count information charging him with subscribing to a false 2009 tax return.
According to the plea agreement, while working for Ikon Office Solutions during the years 2005-2009, Partida was assigned to work at the Hilton Worldwide business office in Beverly Hills. Partida worked in the mail room of the Hilton business office and his duties included ordering office supplies, handling shipping and receiving, and fixing office machines.
Beginning as early as November 2005, Partida misappropriated toner cartridges from the Hilton business office and sold them for personal profit. Partida was paid by checks for the misappropriated toner cartridges and deposited the checks into one of three bank accounts held in his name. Partida used the proceeds from the checks to pay for personal and family expenses.
As a result of the misappropriated toner cartridges, Partida admitted that he received unreported income totaling approximately $240,990 for the calendar years 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2009 resulting in a tax loss to the government of at least $49,000. The specific count to which Partida pleaded guilty resulted in unreported income for the 2009 tax year of approximately $14,600 and a tax loss of $2,235.
Partida is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Philip S. Gutierrez on February 23, 2015. The statutory maximum sentence he can receive is three years imprisonment and a fine of $250,000. In addition, Partida may be ordered to pay restitution to the government.
The investigation and prosecution of Partida was conducted by IRS Criminal Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Investigation in conjunction with the United States Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California.