SAN DIEGO - Attorney Richard D. Corona was sentenced Friday to 33 months in federal prison for tax evasion and ordered to pay $870,000 in restitution to Uncle Sam. His wife, Tracy Corona, was sentenced to 30 months in prison and my pay $1.4 million in restitution.
From 1997 through 2001 the Coronas, of El Cajon, earned more than $3 million in taxable income and owed $900,000 in taxes, but sent repeated letters to the IRS, denying that they were U.S. citizens, contesting the IRS' power to levy taxes upon them, and stating that they had no income, trial evidence showed. They testified that they based these claims on information provided by "American Rights Litigators," of Florida.
The California State Bar suspended Richard Corona's license on Dec. 7, 2007.
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