PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Rockwood, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to one year and one day in prison, to be followed by one year of supervised release, and ordered to pay a fine of $40,000 and restitution of $207,378 (which has already been paid) to the Internal Revenue Service on his conviction of tax evasion and filing false income tax returns, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.

United States District Judge Cathy Bissoon imposed the sentence on Jason R. Svonavec, 45.

According to information presented to the Court, Svonavec evaded tax liability in 2017 by illegally expensing the construction of his home in Somerset, Pennsylvania, through entities he operates called Heritage Coal and Natural Resources LLC and Banshee Crane. In 2018, he filed a tax return reporting false tax deductions for Heritage Coal.

Assistant United States Attorney Gregory C. Melucci prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

United States Attorney Olshan commended the Internal Revenue Service for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Svonavec.