San Diego Man Pleads Guilty to Tax Evasion

According to court documents and statements made in court, Peter L. Roper, of San Diego, operated various La Jolla-based businesses that marketed and sold purported federal tax credits throughout the United States. Between 2010 through 2021, Roper and his businesses received nearly $19 million in income, on which he owed more than $6.7 million in federal income taxes. Roper and his businesses, however, did not report any of this income on tax returns or pay taxes to the IRS. Throughout this period, Roper used his businesses’ bank accounts to pay personal expenses and concealed assets by titling them in the names of others. Instead of paying taxes, Roper spent $187,432.34 on a 2015 McLaren 650S Spider and another $277,698.50 on a 2021 Aston Martin DBX, among other things.

Roper pleaded guilty to one count of tax evasion. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 8 and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division and U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon for the Southern District of California made the announcement.

Trial Attorneys John C. Gerardi and Charles A. O’Reilly of the National Fraud Enforcement Division’s Tax Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Nathan Brooks for the Southern District of California are prosecuting the case.

On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the Fraud Division. The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.