Convicted Bremerton car dealer busted

Allen C. Martin, who once operated an auto dealership in Bremerton, pleaded guilty Aug. 26 to conspiracy to defraud the Internal Revenue Service.

Martin appeared before U.S. District Court Judge Jack E. Tanner in Tacoma and admitted his guilt.

Martin, 62, was first indicted by a federal grand jury in 1994. He was charged nine years ago with the conspiracy charge and tax evasion for the years 1987, 1988, and 1989.

The same indictment charged Gerald Clyde Randall, his “co-conspirator,” with the exact same charges.

In 1994, Randall pleaded guilty and was sentenced, but Martin fled rather than appeared for his arraignment in federal court.

But, according to John McKay, U.S. Attorney for Western Washington, the Tacoma office of the U.S. Marshal’s Service never gave up the search for Martin, and its persistence finally paid off last month.

Martin was tracked to a rural area outside Portland, where he had been residing for years under the assumed identity of a deceased man.

U.S. deputy marshals arrested Martin on July 17.

In his guilty plea, Martin admitted to defrauding the IRS in its attempt to assess and collect tax revenues from his business.

During the period in question while Martin was the part-owner and president of Allen Martin Chevrolet-AMC Inc. Randall was sales manager.

According to McKay, the pair diverted 356 checks totalling almost $180,000 from the dealership. The conspirators also diverted approximately $21,000 in business receipts paid by customers.

They deposited the diverted funds into Martin’s personal bank account.

In 1987 the pair filed false tax returns. In 1988 and 1989 martin didn’t file returns at all. The total amount of the taxes avoided was $59,146, not including penalties and interest.

Martin is slated to be sentenced Nov. 20 at 10:30 a.m.

He is currently being held without bail at the federal detention center in Sea-Tac.

Officials said there was no bail since Martin was considered a “flight risk.”

Martin faces a maximum penalty of up to five years in prison, fines of up to $250,000, and three years of supervised release after he completes whatever prison term he is assessed.

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