U.S. Attorney: Mattapan business committed tax fraud, bought millions in gold bars

The 78-year-old co-owner of a Mattapan plumbing and heating company was charged Tuesday in federal court with filing false tax returns in an alleged scheme where he used the unreported money to buy more than $10 million in gold and silver bars for himself.

Claudio Poles of Dorchester was charged with four counts of filing false tax returns, according to the office of acting U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts Joshua S. Levy.

Prosecutors allege that did not accurately disclose his company’s gross business receipts to his tax preparer, who then submitted the company’s tax returns with the false information. Poles allegedly used the unreported money to buy gold and silver bars, describing the purchases on the business’ checks as for “Boilers,” “Materials,” and “P&H Supp” in what prosecutors said was an effort to conceal the purchases.

In addition, Levy’s office said that between 2019 and 2022, Poles fraudulently reported losses on his individual tax returns and omitted the income he received from his business through purchasing the gold and silver bars.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s office, one charge of filing a false tax return can result in a sentence of up to three years in prison.