A former certified public accountant and state auditor in the Pennsylvania Auditor General’s Office was sentenced Wednesday to 74 months in prison in U.S. District Court on charges of tax evasion, obstructing and impeding Internal Revenue laws and willful failure to file federal income tax returns, according to an announcement from the Justice Department and the IRS.

A federal jury in the Middle District of Pennsylvania convicted Troy A. Beam of Shippensburg on May 4, 2011.

According to evidence introduced at trial, Beam earned substantial income while operating a home construction business known as Sunbeam Builders as well as owning and operating two real estate businesses, Latrobe Leasing and Goldstar Property Management, that purchased, rented and sold real estate.

Beam failed to file any federal income tax returns and also filed false amended federal income tax returns seeking tax refunds, according to the release.

The evidence at trial showed that from 1999 to 2007, Beam earned more than $10.3 million in gross income.

Beam used numerous sham trusts and other entities, including North Star Investment Holdings Ltd., to hide his income and assets, according to the release. He used North Star to set up a bank account in the Cayman Islands into which he deposited nearly $3 million, it is noted in the release.

“The evidence showed beyond a reasonable doubt that Troy Beam is a consummate fraud and hypocrite who evaded his responsibilities as a citizen while participating in a charade to deceive the government, other citizens and himself for his own selfish ends,” said Peter J. Smith, U.S. attorney for the Middle District of Pennsylvania.

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