A popular Los Angeles tattoo artist pleaded guilty to tax crimes, federal officials announced Tuesday.
Daniel Joseph Winter, 43, better known as Winter Stone to his fans, pleaded guilty to one count of subscription to a false tax return, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Winter operates his tattoo business in Los Angeles, New York and Vancouver, Canada. Specializing in single-needle fine-line tattoos and catering to high-end clients, Stone was once named “Hollywood’s Go-To Tattoo Artist” by The Hollywood Reporter.
With a clientele that often included notable actors, singers and celebrities, and over 606,000 followers on Instagram, prosecutors said his tattoos were expensive and he earned a “substantial income from his work as a tattoo artist and related endeavors.”
According to his plea agreement, from 2021 to 2023, Winter earned at least $1.7 million from his tattoo business, but he declared no wages, salaries or tip income on the tax returns that he filed with the IRS.
- For 2021, he reported a taxable income of negative $3,442 instead of his actual taxable income of $501,710.
- For 2022, he reported a taxable income of $1,105 instead of his actual taxable income of $347,159
- For 2023, he reported an income of $14,852, instead of his actual taxable income of $850,447
By underreporting his actual income, Winter reduced the taxes he owed by more than $641,000, officials said.
At Tuesday’s hearing, Winter presented a cashier’s check for $641,959 to the court to pay the owed taxes. He also admitted that he knew he was required to report all his income, but willfully lied about it on his tax returns.
He accepted payment for his tattoo services almost exclusively in cash which made it more difficult for IRS officials to determine his true income, prosecutors said.
A sentencing hearing is scheduled for Aug. 11 where he could face up to three years in federal prison.
