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Shoreline Business Owner Who Failed to Pay Taxes Sentenced to Prison

Vanessa Roberts Avery, the United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that Christopher Jardine 55, of Guilford, was sentenced on Nov. 29 by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to 15 months of imprisonment, followed by one year of supervised release, for failing to pay business and personal taxes. Judge Dooley also ordered Jardine to pay a $10,000 fine.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Jardine is a part owner of D&A Construction Management, Inc. (D&A), a Branford-based company in the construction business. Jardine was responsible for D&A’s financial affairs and for collecting and paying over certain federal taxes from D&A’s employees, namely federal income taxes and Federal Insurance Contribution Act (FICA) taxes, which include Medicare and social security taxes. He was also responsible for ensuring that D&A, as an employer, paid its own share of FICA taxes.

An investigation revealed that although Jardine and D&A withheld employees’ federal income and FICA taxes over multiple tax periods between 2016 and 2019 and reported those withholdings to the IRS, they failed to pay over the withheld amounts, totaling approximately $868,000. Jardine also represented to the IRS that D&A lacked the ability to pay, but that he used more than $1 million in company funds to pay personal expenses, including purchases of a 52-foot cigarette boat, a Range Rover, high-end clothing, and auto parts, and also to make payments on behalf of Straight Jacket USA, LLC, a Guilford business controlled by Jardine.

On April 28, Jardine pleaded guilty to one count of willful failure to pay over withholding taxes. Jardine admitted that he evaded payment of the withheld employee taxes, as well as D&A’s share of FICA taxes, for multiple quarters during the 2016 through 2019 tax years, and he also acknowledged that he evaded the payment of personal income tax liabilities for multiple tax years between 2007 and 2015.

Jardine agreed to pay approximately $2,070,000 in restitution to the IRS, an amount that includes interest and penalties. To date, he has paid most of his restitution obligation.

Jardine, who is released on a $50,000 bond, is required to report to prison on Feb. 28.

This investigation was conducted by the IRS Criminal Investigation Division. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Conor M. Reardon.