Matthew C. Tucci, the 52-year-old son of Republican West Long Branch Mayor Janet Tucci, pleaded guilty today to federal tax evasion.
Tucci, a registered Republican voter in Monmouth County, admitted to failing to pay more than $2 million in taxes owed for the years 2015 and 2016, despite filing returns acknowledging the debt.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Tucci engaged in a series of financial maneuvers to avoid paying his tax obligations. After filing returns that showed he owed substantial sums, he diverted funds toward real estate purchases rather than settling his debt with the Internal Revenue Service.
In 2017, after the IRS issued notices demanding payment of taxes, interest, and penalties, Tucci transferred multiple properties to an entity owned by another individual. However, he retained control over at least two of them, later selling one and refinancing the other. The proceeds from these transactions were used for personal expenses instead of addressing his outstanding tax liabilities.
Further complicating matters, Tucci submitted false documents to the IRS in 2019, denying any connection to the entity that held ownership of a dozen properties. This misrepresentation was part of a broader effort to conceal his financial activities from federal authorities.
Tucci is scheduled to be sentenced on October 9, 2025. He faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison, in addition to potential supervised release, restitution, and monetary penalties. The final sentence will be determined by a federal district court judge after reviewing U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The case was announced by Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Acting U.S. Attorney Alina Habba for the District of New Jersey. The investigation was conducted by IRS Criminal Investigation and the FBI, with prosecution led by Trial Attorney Catriona Coppler of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Belgiovine for the District of New Jersey.
No further statements were made regarding Tucci’s political affiliations, as the case remains a matter of legal rather than partisan concern. The Department of Justice emphasized its commitment to enforcing tax laws uniformly, regardless of a defendant’s background or associations.
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