Cathlamet residents charged with not paying taxes for yoga business
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September 1, 2022
Greg Gumucio, 61, and Haven Soliman, 33, of Cathlamet, and Michael Anderson, 51, of Bellevue were arrested on Aug. 24 on charges related to conspiracy to commit tax fraud.
Anderson has local ties. Early that Wednesday morning, a search warrant was executed at a house on Suncrest Lane belonging to his ex-wife, Hilarie Larson, where Gumucio and Soliman were living.
According to a press release from the US Department of Justice, Gumucio started Yoga to the People (YTTP) in New York, New York. The studio initially did not require payment from yoga students but asked for donations. Over the years, YTTP opened at least 20 yoga studios or affiliated entities throughout New York City and in various locations in California, Colorado, Arizona, Florida, and Washington. The organization also had a teacher training program.
YTTP earned more than $20 million yet never filed a corporate tax return with the IRS.
Gumicio was YTTP’s founder, principal owner, and functional chief executive officer. Anderson was an owner and functional chief financial officer and was involved in negotiating leases for YTTP entities, opening bank accounts, and more. Soliman was an owner of YTTP, its chief communications officer, and director of education for YTTP’s Teacher Training Program.
The release said that the three did not file personal tax returns with the IRS from 2013 to 2020. They accepted yoga students’ payments in cash and paid yoga teachers in cash; used nominees to disguise their connection to various entities which were part of the YTTP enterprise, and from which they all received income.
Other reporting states that Gumucio was also known to target and groom young women and others to become owners of studios, where he controlled business decisions, and took a cut of their income.
A story in Vice from July 24, 2020, outlines ongoing trouble with Gumucio and YTTP: https://www.vice.com/en/article/4ayqk3/he-knew-everything-fear-control-and-manipulation-at-yoga-to-the-people.
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