Another B.C. man sentenced in connection to tax evasion scheme

Another personfrom the Paradigm Education Group based in Chilliwack, B.C.,has been sentenced for tax evasion and counselling others to evade taxes.

The Canadian Revenue Agency (CRA) announced Wednesday that Keith David Lawsonfrom Burnaby, B.C., was sentencedOct. 31 in B.C. Supreme Court to 18 months in jail.

Lawson was also fined $30,717.

An investigation by the CRA uncovered that Lawson failed to report his total income of $159,629 from 2004 to 2008.

As a result,he evaded $18,036 in federal income taxes, the CRA said in a statement.

Lawson also failed to collect and remit $12,681 in GST from 2005 to 2008.

Practice what they preach

Lawson was an "educator" with Paradigm, a tax protester group.

RussellPorisky, who was the operator of the organization, was also sentenced to five-and-a-half years in jail and fined $259,482 in August this year.

According to the CRA, Paradigm sold books, DVDs,CDs and also had people pay for seminars that "educated" them on how to avoid paying income taxes.

The CRA said in news release that all Canadians should beware of tax protesters that try to convince people they don't have to pay taxes.