San Ramon Man Pleads Guilty to Tax Evasion

A San Ramon man pleaded guilty to tax evasion Friday in federal court in Oakland, according to federal prosecutors.

Thomas Calise, 50, asked his employer, Fidelity Capital, to pay a portion of his commissions to his spouse in 2004 and 2005, and to pay his salary and commissions to a company that he started and controlled in 2006 and 2007, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

In both cases, he was required to report the income being paid to his wife and to the company, but intentionally failed to do so, according to prosecutors.

Calise owed around $493,887 in back taxes when he was charged with tax evasion on May 5.

He is scheduled to appear again in court on Sept. 18 at 10 a.m. for sentencing, and faces a maximum possible sentence of five years in prison and a fine of $250,000.

--Bay City News