The U.S. government is suing former NFL linebacker Bill Romanowski and his wife, alleging they used money from a nutrition company to pay their personal living expenses and now owe more than $15.3 million in back taxes.
In a lawsuit filed Tuesday in a California federal court, Department of Justice lawyers allege the couple failed to pay millions in income tax between 1998 and 2007 − which includes the tail end of Bill Romanowski’s NFL career, when he played for the Denver Broncos and then-Oakland Raiders. He retired after the 2003 season.
In attempts to avoid reporting federal income and repaying those taxes, the lawsuit alleges, the Romanowskis withdrew money directly from bank accounts registered on behalf of Nutrition53, the nutritional supplement company they founded in 2006.
The lawsuit claims the couple improperly used company money to pay for pet food, chiropractor appointments, plastic surgery appointments, day spa appointments, rent for their adult daughter and groceries for their adult son, among a wide range of other expenses.
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“By using N53 to pay their personal living expenses and those of their adult children, the Romanowskis have improperly used N53 to thwart the IRS’s collection of the individual income tax assessments at issue in this case,” the Department of Justice alleges in the lawsuit.
Attorneys for the Romanowskis are not yet listed in court records. An email sent by USA TODAY Sports to an attorney who previously represented Bill Romanowski in a separate lawsuit was not immediately returned, nor was an email sent to Nutrition53.
Romanowski, 57, was one of the NFL’s most polarizing linebackers during his 16-year career. The Boston College product won four Super Bowl rings and made two Pro Bowl appearances while also drawing criticism from fans and other players for what they perceived as dirty play. He admitted in 2005 that he used steroids, including human growth hormone, during his playing career.
Contact Tom Schad at tschad@usatoday.com or on Twitter @Tom_Schad.
