2 Plead Guilty to Corporate Tax Fraud

Two men who own a Calabasas telecommunications company have pleaded guilty to filing a fraudulent corporate income tax return as part of a scheme to gain unfair business advantages, federal officials said Friday.

Milton J. Ramas, 65, of Agoura, pleaded guilty to one count of filing a false corporate income tax return in 1995, Assistant U.S. Atty. Lee Arian] said. Lawrence R. Collette, 62, of West Hills pleaded guilty to one count of aiding and assisting in the preparation of the false return, he said.

Ramas and Collette own Able Cable Inc. in Calabasas, which provides cable installation for telephone, voice and computer systems. During a two-year federal investigation, authorities learned Able Cable had paid more than $243,000 to Sorin Rosenthal, a former telecommunications project manager at Hughes Aircraft Co.

The money was paid out over 1 1/2 years beginning in May 1993, during a period in which Able Cable performed subcontract work for Hughes, investigators said.

According to Arian, Ramas and Collette used fictitious companies to pay Rosenthal, 48, of West Hills, fees for consulting and training that they never received. Ramas and Collette then fraudulently deducted these fees from their company’s corporate income tax returns, he said.

Ramas and Collette face up to three years in prison and $250,000 in fines.

On June 6, Rosenthal pleaded guilty to one felony count of accepting illegal kickback payments of $243,000 from Able Cable, officials said.

Rosenthal received the money in exchange for protecting Able Cable from complaints by Hughes workers, officials said. Rosenthal faces up to 10 years in prison and $250,000 in fines.