Drug dealer must pay back taxes

Date: 07-03-2003 Posted by: Anabolic Info TeamCanada

The tax collector has won a major victory in the sentencing of a convicted drug dealer.

Clinton Stephen Evangelista, 29, was given a one-year conditional sentence yesterday and ordered to pay $102,230 in back taxes after pleading guilty to a string of charges stemming from trafficking anabolic steroids, money laundering and tax evasion.

After his arrest in 2001 for dealing steroids, Evangelista, a former award-winning bodybuilder, was found to have earned more than $385,000 from 1995 to 1999, which he never declared.

In the bust dubbed Project Kavity, more than 20 people were charged for their part in the massive drug scheme that took Mounties more than a year to shut down.

"The accused has entered timely guilty pleas, saving trouble and expense and has expressed remorse for his actions," provincial court Judge Tom McMeekin said.

He also said Evangelista has remained a model citizen since his arrest and ruled out jail time for him.

Evangelista was given 10 years to pay his outstanding taxes to Revenue Canada.

Defence lawyer Charles Stewart said the precedent-setting ruling has yielded the stiffest tax fine he has ever seen.

"This is a significant precedent for big steroid cases," Stewart said.