Blue State Graft Watch: Bay State Congressman's Wife Pleads Guilty to Tax Charges in Offshore Gambling Outfit

The wife of Democrat Congressman John Tierney pleaded guilty Wednesday in a Federal Courthouse in Boston to charges that she aided her brother in covering up his $7 million ownership stake in an illegal offshore gambling business based in Antigua.

The wife of Democratic incumbent Congressman John F. Tierney pleaded guilty today to charges she helped cover up her brother’s $7 million ownership stake in a Caribbean gambling operation by falsifying his federal tax returns.

With her husband by her side - and former U.S. Attorney Donald K. Stern heading up her defense - custom jewelry designer Patrice Tierney, 59, appeared before U.S. District Court Judge William G. Young and copped to four counts of aiding and abetting the filing of false federal tax returns for the years 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008.

Prosecutors reccomended a sentence of three months house arrest followed by two years probation [and straight to bed with no dessert- NANESB!]. Just imagine if you or I were actively participating in falsifying somebody's tax records to the tune of seven million over a 3-5 year period. You think the Feds would basically ground us and give us a 'timeout' of two years?

A commenter on the Boston Herald's online version of the article thoughtfully provides a link to HR 4411, a bill restricting internet gambling that passed by a 317-93 margin in July 2006. The eleven-term Congressman Tierney (MA-6) was one of the votes against the bill.

[Hat tip- Spitfire Murphy]