A Milwaukee attorney, Eric Lenzen, has been sentenced to 16 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to failing to pay more than $2.4 million in taxes. The U.S. Attorney’s Office reported that the 44-year-old, who was a partner at two prominent law firms, neglected his tax obligations from 2016 to 2021, despite earning a substantial salary.
Lenzen’s lavish lifestyle included spending hundreds of thousands on private plane travel, jewelry, home renovations, and golf clubs, all while avoiding his tax responsibilities. U.S. Magistrate Judge William Duffin criticized Lenzen’s actions as “exceptionally aggravated,” noting that he actively thwarted government attempts to collect the owed taxes.
During the sentencing, Judge Duffin emphasized the detrimental effect of such misconduct by attorneys, stating, “When a crime is committed by an attorney, it undermines respect for the law and the legal profession.”
In addition to his prison sentence, Lenzen was ordered to pay restitution of $2,462,705.50 to the Internal Revenue Service, along with applicable penalties and interest.