Connecticut and North Carolina Residents Charged with Tax Fraud Offenses

David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Thomas Demeo, Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation in New England, today announced that a federal grand jury in New Haven has returned a 20-count indictment charging MICHAEL JOSEPH MEADE, 61, of Old Saybrook, Connecticut, and CHET LEE WEST, 70, of Nebo, North Carolina, with numerous tax fraud offenses.

The indictment was returned on April 8, 2026, and Meade and West were arrested and presented today. Meade is detained pending a hearing that is scheduled for tomorrow at 1:30 p.m. in New Haven federal court, and West is released on a $25,000 bond pending his arraignment in the District of Connecticut, which is scheduled for May 7.

The indictment alleges that Meade, who has owned and operated Innovative Components LLC, and subsequently Liquidlevel.com LLC, a Southington-based business engaged in the manufacturing and sale of liquid level float control mechanisms, has a federal tax obligation of approximately $2.5 million for the years 2001 through 2010, 2012, and 2013. Since approximately 2016, Meade has attempted to evade the payment of his tax obligation in various ways, including by withdrawing large amounts of cash and purchasing cashier's checks from his business accounts and using the funds for personal expenditures; depositing company funds into a family member's trust account; transferring company funds to cryptocurrency wallets and accounts that he controlled; establishing new business bank accounts with a different company name, Taxpayer Identification Numbers (TINs), Employer Identification Numbers (EINs), and using nominees; notifying customers that he was no longer connected with his business and directing them to send payments to the newly opened bank account associated with a new TIN; using a shell company to purchase a personal vacation property in Maine; and opening bank accounts using a false social security number.

The indictment further alleges that, beginning in 2021, Meade conspired with West to structure various financial transactions in an effort to obstruct the IRS from assessing and collecting Meade's federal tax obligation. Meade and West also conspired to provide fraudulent tax-related information to customers of Meade's business and to cause false information and false documents to be filed with the IRS.

The indictment charges Meade with one count of tax evasion, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of five years, and six counts of failure to file a tax return, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of one year on each count. The indictment charges Meade and West each with one count of conspiracy to obstruct and defeat the Internal Revenue Service, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of five years, five counts of attempts to interfere with administration of internal revenue laws, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of three years on each count, and seven counts of aiding or assisting the filing of false documents, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of three years on each count.

U.S. Attorney Sullivan stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and each defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This investigation is being conducted by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael S. McGarry and Peter S. Jongbloed.