A Mesa man has been sentenced to more than six years in prison and ordered to pay over $1 million in restitution to the IRS for income tax evasion.

John D. Stacey was sentenced last week to 77 months in prison after he was convicted in June on charges of income tax evasion, corrupt interference with the administration of the IRS and multiple counts of fraudulent use of a social security number.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, trial evidence showed that since at least February 2002, Stacey knew that he owed taxes, penalties and interest for 1995, 1996 and 1997. He apparently made no payments to the IRS toward the tax debt.

Stacey reportedly took numerous steps to frustrate the IRS’s efforts to investigate the case and collect the taxes owed. He allegedly made false statements to IRS agents, made luxury purchases rather than paying his outstanding tax debt and provided false social security numbers to financial institutions and business customers to prevent the IRS from receiving accurate information about his income, assets and financial transactions.

Stacey operated an asphalt paving company that did business under various names, including A to Z Paving, Triple A Paving, Texas Paving, Pave Your Way Construction, among others.

Officials say Stacey earned gross income in excess of $4 million from his business between 2000 and 2003 but has never filed an individual income tax return with the IRS.