A New Jersey guy who previously stiffed the Yankees out of big bucks pleaded guilty in an $3.5 million tax evasion scheme in the Garden State, prosecutors said.
Walter Hass, who owned and operated a shipping/logistics company in Oakland, NJ, collected payroll taxes from his employees for eight years but instead of giving the cash to the government used it to fund a luxe lifestyle.
Hass bought pricey vehicles like Aston Martins and McClarens, high-end watches and jewelry, home renovations and fancy meals and vacations, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office District of New Jersey.
Hass, 62, pleaded guilty in Newark federal court Tuesday to failure to collect, account for and pay payroll taxes between 2014 and 2022.
The Bergen County man also previously struck out with the Yankees.
He owed the Bronx Bombers more than $626,000 for a suite, according to court papers filed in Manhattan Federal Court in 2020.
The Yankees claimed Hass agreed to an eight-year deal for eight seats that included food and beverages, according to the legal papers.
The team took Hass to arbitration, where the Yankees initially wanted an eye-popping $1.5 million before arbitrators knocked down the amount.
A Manhattan federal court judge confirmed the award in December 2020, the court filing shows.
It is unclear if Hass ever paid the judgment.
Hass, who did not return messages, faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine in the tax evasion case.
Sentencing is slated for April.
