CHICAGO — Michael Abramson, a former Chicago attorney, was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison and fined $25,000 for committing tax fraud, witness tampering, and violating a court order, officials announced.
The 76-year-old Wilmette resident was convicted last year by a jury in U.S. District Court in Chicago on 15 counts related to tax fraud, witness tampering, and court order violations.
Prosecutors revealed that Abramson disguised over $1 million in personal expenses paid to a woman he was romantically involved with as commissions or loans to reduce his individual tax liability.
Abramson also falsely listed these fraudulent loans as corporate assets for a company he partially owned. The expenses covered a luxury condo in Chicago’s Gold Coast, high-end vehicles, and lavish travel, dining, and shopping.
After his indictment, Abramson was ordered not to contact witnesses, including his bookkeeper. However, weeks before his trial, he provided his bookkeeper with a copy of her prior testimony, annotated with handwritten notes altering her answers, and instructed her to memorize them.
Despite being told not to bring the notes to law enforcement meetings, the bookkeeper handed over the doctored transcript, contributing to Abramson’s conviction.
U.S. District Judge Manish S. Shah imposed the sentence as part of efforts to uphold legal integrity and combat white-collar crime.
