Former accountant charged in connection with scheme to hide Wareham company’s taxable sales from state

Nov 28, 2021

A Wareham asphalt company’s former accountant, Christopher Polito, 37, of Dedham, was arraigned on Nov. 22 on multiple charges “in connection with a scheme to hide the company’s taxable sales by falsifying financial records with the state’s Department of Revenue,” according to Attorney General Maura Healey. 

Polito was arraigned in Suffolk Superior Court on one count of obstructing the administration of the Department of Revenue, one count of making a false statement to the department, and two counts of conspiracy. 

He was formerly employed as an accountant by Rochester Bituminous Products Inc., located at 83 Kings Hwy in West Wareham.

According to the attorney general’s investigation, in 2015 Polito “submitted numerous false documents to the DOR in an effort to obstruct an audit of its business from 2011 to 2013, and reduce the total taxable sales the company made during that time period.” 

The attorney general’s office alleges that “Polito altered the documents to appear as though sales were made to entities that are exempt from the state’s 6.25 percent sales tax.” 

State law exempts certain entities from paying sales tax (federal and state government entities and religious, scientific, charitable or educational organizations). The attorney general alleges that the sales Polito detailed in “falsified documents” were actually made to private entities, which would not be exempt.