Area Contractor to Serve 27 Months for Tax Fraud

A Chatsworth man has been sentenced to 27 months in federal prison for failing to report more than $200,000 in business receipts.

Gary Lee Morris, 61, a general contractor in the San Fernando Valley, pleaded guilty in March to filing a false tax return and admitted to underreporting his income for two years.

Morris had faced a lesser sentence of 10 to 14 months for pleading guilty to the charges before the trial. U.S. District Court Judge Nora Manella, however, handed down the increased term on Monday, finding Morris had obstructed justice by submitting forged documents and false declarations to the court in an attempt to reduce his sentence.