Biloxi couple faces multiple customs violations
Published 4:51 pm Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Federal prosecutors say a Biloxi couple has been indicted for customs violations and wire fraud.
An indictment charges Paul and Donna Kotsakos with 14 counts of wire fraud and Donna Kotsakos with the additional charge of one count of lying to federal agents, according to the news release.
The couple operated an import company known as PK Promotions, Incorporated, in Biloxi.
Federal officials say the couple sought to avoid paying the full amount of duty on imported goods by employing various means, such as presenting fraudulent invoices for submission to the United States Customhouse and arranging to give merchandise a false classification to reduce the import duties.
Prosecutors say Paul and Donna Kotsakos face a maximum of five years in prison on the conspiracy count. Each also faces a maximum of 20 years of imprisonment for each wire fraud count.
In addition, Donna Kotsakos faces another five years for giving a false statement.