BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — A Kenmore man pleaded guilty to mail fraud and tax evasion, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said Tuesday.
Authorities say that in January 2017, 56-year-old Michael MacPherson of Kenmore solicited an individual in Kansas to invest in a bulk cigarette deal, telling the individual that he had an agreement with a Native American tribe in New York State to purchase them and then sell them for a profit.
The individual sent MacPherson a check for $75,000, which MacPherson used on payments to the Niagara Falls Country Club and Canisius High School, along with airline flights, hotels, car rentals, utilities and other items.
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Authorities say he contacted the individual again in December 2019 and got another $20,000, which he used for similar expenses, which included using it to pay for a defaulted business loan.
In addition, between 2015 and 2019, MacPherson attempted to evade taxes for 2015 and 2017 by failing to file tax returns and omitting money from business receipts. The amount of tax loss was $93,815.
He faces up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine when he is sentenced on May 25.
Aidan Joly joined the News 4 staff in 2022. He is a graduate of Canisius College. You can see more of his work here.