Court records have indicated that Wilbur Gonzalez, a real estate broker in Manhattan failed to file state tax returns for three years or pay state and city taxes on more than $2 million in income, according to an article in Saturday's edition of The Wall Street Journal by Josh Barbanel.
"Details of the case became known as Mr. Gonzalez announced that he was leaving Brown Harris Stevens, where he was recruited as part of a team brought in three years ago to market new condominiums at the height of the real-estate market," the article maintained, adding that Mr. Gonzalez moved to Prudential Douglas Elliman last week and maintained that he had left Brown Harris Stevens voluntarily.
"But several people familiar with his departure from Brown Harris Stevens said he was asked to leave several weeks earlier," the article said, "after the New York secretary of state's office notified the firm that it was conducting a review of Mr. Gonzalez's conduct."
"Mr. Gonzalez admitted evading taxes in a plea agreement on file in State Supreme Court in Manhattan. He pled guilty to felony tax evasion and two related misdemeanors in September, 2009, and faced a maximum sentence of between 1¿ and four years in prison. But after he paid more than $393,000 in back taxes, interest and penalties, he was permitted to withdraw the felony guilty plea in January, under the terms of the plea agreement, according to Manhattan district attorney's office," according to the article.
"In an email," the article continued, "Mr. Gonzalez said his tax issue was now resolved. 'As for taxes, it's behind me,' he said. 'I am in complete compliance and absolutely no felony!' Mr. Gonzalez said the state license inquiry resulted from a misunderstanding over his now-withdrawn felony conviction....A spokesman for the secretary of state's office confirmed a review of Mr. Gonzalez's license was still underway. He said it could result in a license revocation even if there is no felony on record if case raises a question of 'trustworthiness.'"
The article indicated that city records showed that "the Internal Revenue Service filed some liens against Mr. Gonzalez and that in August, 2007, the IRS filed a $603,000 lien against Mr. Gonzalez, and released the lien seven months later. In November, 2008, the IRS imposed a second $300,000 lien, and then released it six months later, records show."
"I'm thrilled that my outstanding tax issues have been resolved and am happy to move forward without distraction in this reviving real estate market," Mr. Gonzalez said in the article.
"Details of the case became known as Mr. Gonzalez announced that he was leaving Brown Harris Stevens, where he was recruited as part of a team brought in three years ago to market new condominiums at the height of the real-estate market," the article maintained, adding that Mr. Gonzalez moved to Prudential Douglas Elliman last week and maintained that he had left Brown Harris Stevens voluntarily.
"But several people familiar with his departure from Brown Harris Stevens said he was asked to leave several weeks earlier," the article said, "after the New York secretary of state's office notified the firm that it was conducting a review of Mr. Gonzalez's conduct."
"Mr. Gonzalez admitted evading taxes in a plea agreement on file in State Supreme Court in Manhattan. He pled guilty to felony tax evasion and two related misdemeanors in September, 2009, and faced a maximum sentence of between 1¿ and four years in prison. But after he paid more than $393,000 in back taxes, interest and penalties, he was permitted to withdraw the felony guilty plea in January, under the terms of the plea agreement, according to Manhattan district attorney's office," according to the article.
"In an email," the article continued, "Mr. Gonzalez said his tax issue was now resolved. 'As for taxes, it's behind me,' he said. 'I am in complete compliance and absolutely no felony!' Mr. Gonzalez said the state license inquiry resulted from a misunderstanding over his now-withdrawn felony conviction....A spokesman for the secretary of state's office confirmed a review of Mr. Gonzalez's license was still underway. He said it could result in a license revocation even if there is no felony on record if case raises a question of 'trustworthiness.'"
The article indicated that city records showed that "the Internal Revenue Service filed some liens against Mr. Gonzalez and that in August, 2007, the IRS filed a $603,000 lien against Mr. Gonzalez, and released the lien seven months later. In November, 2008, the IRS imposed a second $300,000 lien, and then released it six months later, records show."
"I'm thrilled that my outstanding tax issues have been resolved and am happy to move forward without distraction in this reviving real estate market," Mr. Gonzalez said in the article.
Architecture Critic
Carter Horsley
Since 1997, Carter B. Horsley has been the editorial director of CityRealty. He began his journalistic career at The New York Times in 1961 where he spent 26 years as a reporter specializing in real estate & architectural news. In 1987, he became the architecture critic and real estate editor of The New York Post.
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