N.J. man admits buying Aston Martins while skipping out on millions in payroll taxes

A New Jersey business owner has admitted in court that he lived a lavish lifestyle for years while failing to pay millions of dollars in payroll taxes.

Walter Hass, 62, of the Hewitt section of New Milford, pleaded guilty in Newark federal court on Tuesday to failure to collect, account for and pay over payroll taxes, the U.S. Attorney's Office District of New Jersey said in a news release.

Hass was the owner of a shipping and logistics company located in Oakland, which operated under three different names since 2014.

Between 2014 and 2022, he failed to pay about $3.5 million in company payroll taxes, despite withholding the money from his employees' paychecks, federal authorities said.

During that period, Hass lived a lavish lifestyle that included driving Aston Martin and McClaren vehicles, purchasing luxury jewelry and clothing items, going on vacations and having home renovations completed, federal prosecutors said.

His sentencing is scheduled for April 22, 2025.

Stories by Nicolas Fernandes

Tax preparer who filed more than 150 false returns gets prison time

Judge orders mental health eval for N.J. woman accused of faking child's leukemia

Masked man stole prescription drugs in gunpoint robbery of N.J. pharmacy, feds say