Processing Your Payment

Please do not leave this page until complete. This can take a few moments.

December 1, 2022

Guilford man who spent $2.3M from his business on personal expenses sentenced to prison

By Andrew Larson

A part-owner of a Branford construction company will serve 15 months in prison for failing to pay business and personal taxes.

In addition, 55-year-old Christopher Jardine of Guilford will serve one year of supervised release and pay a $10,000 fine, authorities said.

Jardine was sentenced Monday by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport.

Jardine is a 50% owner of D&A Construction Management Inc., where he was responsible for the company’s finances including paying federal income taxes and Federal Insurance Contribution Act taxes, which include Medicare and Social Security taxes. 

During an investigation, authorities found that Jardine and D&A withheld employees’ federal income and FICA taxes over multiple tax periods between 2016 and 2019 and reported those withholdings to the IRS, but failed to pay the withheld amounts to the federal government. 

The total amount withheld but not paid to the federal government totaled about $868,000, authorities said. The company employed about 25 workers.

Jardine told the IRS that D&A lacked the ability to pay, even though he spent about $2.3 million in company funds on personal expenses, such as buying a 52-foot cigarette boat, Range Rover, high-end clothing and auto parts, and to make payments on behalf of Straight Jacket USA LLC, an auto detailing business in Guilford that he owns, authorities said.

Jardine booked the outlays as shareholder loans. He also issued business checks totalling about $645,351 payable to crash and maintained low balances in his bank accounts to conceal his activities from the IRS, according to court documents.

Jardine pleaded guilty in April to one count of willful failure to pay over withholding taxes. The charge carries a maximum of five years in prison. 

Jardine also agreed to pay about $2 million in restitution to the IRS, including interest and penalties.  

Jardine, who is released on a $50,000 bond, will begin his prison term on Feb. 28. 

Prosecutors reduced the offense level under federal sentencing guidelines because he accepted personal responsibility for the crime, according to the plea agreement.

Sign up for Enews

Most Recent

Most Recent

0 Comments

Order a PDF