A medical device CEO is sentenced to one year in prison for tax evasion.

Briant Benson, president and CEO of multiple medical device companies including Woodland, CA-based Bentec Medical, was recently sentenced to 12 months and one day in prison for tax evasion. 

According to a December 2 news release from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of California, Benson did not file tax returns or pay income tax to the IRS from 2004 to 2006, even though he earned an income of at least $2 million during that time. Court documents also asserted that Benson made large purchases, including jewelry, furniture, expensive travel, and high-end homes, and paid off more than $500,000 in gambling debt, all using company funds. Benson had denied the alleged misuse of corporate funds. 

Benson pleaded guilty to tax evasion in August 2016. This added up to a tax loss of at least $249,000, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

Benson's case was handled by the IRS Criminal Investigation division. At the time of Benson's guilty plea, Michael Batdorf, special agent in charge with IRS Criminal Investigation, said in the release, "Mr. Benson concealed his true income from the IRS and rather than paying his taxes, he paid for multimillion dollar homes, private jets, limousines, and luxury hotel stays. The prosecution of individuals who intentionally conceal income and evade taxes is vital in maintaining public confidence in our tax system.

The Sacramento Business Journal recently reported that Benson's attorney, Betty Williams, said in August that Benson was paying his owed taxes and obeying authorities. The publication also reported that Benson was previously "indicted by a federal grand jury in 2011 for three counts of tax evasion." 

Bentec Medical, which was founded in 1994, designs and manufactures a wide range of medical devices for oncology, cardiology, urology, and other applications, according to information on the corporate website.

[Image courtesy of PATRISYU/FREEDIGITALPHOTOS.NET]