By: Richard L. Smith
A Chatham man and former general counsel for a major public corporation, John Goggins, 63, was sentenced to eight months in prison for willfully failing to file federal income tax returns, according to an announcement by U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger.
Goggins, who previously pleaded guilty to four counts of failing to file tax returns for the years 2018 through 2021, was sentenced by U.S. Magistrate Judge André M. Espinosa in Newark federal court.
Despite earning a gross income of $54 million over those years through wages, stock awards, and other financial gains, Goggins did not file his federal tax returns.
In addition to the prison term, Goggins was sentenced to one year of supervised release, ordered to pay restitution of $3.11 million to the IRS (which has already been paid), and fined $40,000.
Goggins' sentence reflects the seriousness of willfully failing to meet federal tax obligations despite substantial earnings over several years.