On Tuesday, May 29, 2018, it was announced that the former Chairman of the Democratic Party in North Hempstead and the head of the Nassau County Board of Elections had been sentenced to prison. Gerard Terry was sentenced to three years imprisonment to be followed by three years of supervised release. The defendant pleaded guilty to tax evasion on October 12, 2017. Terry is an attorney licensed to practice in New York State.
He willfully evaded substantial income tax owed. The defendant earned income from several government and quasi-government positions, including the Nassau County Board of Elections, the Town of North Hempstead, the Long Beach Housing Authority and more. Since January of 2000, Terry failed to pay a federal tax debt of almost $1.4 million despite earning more than $250,000 per year.
Court documents showed that during the period charged in the indictment, Terry failed to file personal Form 1040 tax returns. He filed years later and only after being pursued by the Internal Revenue Service. After Terry filed Forms 1040, it was determined that the forms contained false information and the defendant had failed to report income.
The defendant still failed to file returns for the 2009 and 2010 tax years. Again, Gerard Terry has been sentenced to three years. Further details have been made available here.