SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WGGB/WSHM) – A local contractor was sentenced to probation on Monday after participating in tax fraud involving hundreds of thousands of dollars over three years.
Dennis Condron owned and operated D. Condron Construction in Berkshire County. According to the U.S. Attorney’s office, he pleaded guilty to four counts of tax fraud in February.
Condron, 76, hid over half a million dollars in customer checks by cashing them and diverting them to his personal accounts and did not tell his tax preparer about it. This happened over a three-year period.
As a result, Condron kept hundreds of thousands of dollars that he should have paid in federal and state income taxes, the attorney’s office said.
Along with one year of probation, Condron was ordered to pay a $40,000 fine and over $200,000 in restitution after the government recommended six months in prison.
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MANAGEMENT & CULTURE (THE “TONE AT THE TOP”)
Fraud thrives in “sloppy” environments where leadership ignores the rules.
- The Fraud Triangle: For fraud to occur, three elements must be present: Pressure (the need for money), Rationalization (thinking “I deserve this”), and Opportunity (weak controls). You can only control the Opportunity.
- Whistleblower Hotline: Provide an anonymous way for staff to report “odd behavior.” Most internal frauds are caught via tips, not audits.
- Background Checks: Conduct credit and criminal record checks for all employees in financial or data-sensitive roles.
- Annual Ethics Training: Make sure every staff member knows that the company has a Zero Tolerance policy toward “borrowing” from petty cash or fudging overtime.