Milwaukee attorney sentenced to federal prison for $2.4M tax debt
Federal Courthouse in downtown Milwaukee
MILWAUKEE - A Milwaukee attorney was sentenced on Tuesday to 16 months in federal prison after he pleaded guilty to failing to pay more than $2.4 million in taxes.
The U.S. Attorney's Office said 44-year-old Eric Lenzen was a partner at two "prominent" law firms and failed to pay income taxes between 2016 and 2021. He previously pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor failure to pay taxes.
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Federal prosecutors said Lenzen failed to pay the taxes he owed despite earning a "lucrative salary and funding a lavish lifestyle that included spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on private plane travel, jewelry, and extensive home remodels, as well as golf clubs."
At the sentencing hearing, U.S. Magistrate Judge William Duffin described Lenzen’s conduct as "exceptionally aggravated." The judge said Lenzen was given opportunities to pay his tax debt but instead took steps to "thwart the government’s attempts to recover" the taxes due.
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"When a crime is committed by an attorney, it undermines respect for the law and the legal profession," Duffin explained.
In addition to serving a 16-month prison term, Lenzen was ordered to pay $2,462,705.50 in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service – plus penalties and interest.