An heir to the now-defunct luxury department store Barney's is accusing his late mother and siblings of orchestrating a tax fraud scheme to evade paying $20 million to New York state, according to a lawsuit.
Bob Pressman, the 71-year-old grandson of the retail giant founder Barney Pressman, alleged his family conspired to avoid paying New York state income and estate taxes by falsely claiming that his mother lived in Florida, a lawsuit obtained by the New York Post alleges.
In reality, Phyllis Pressman, the plaintiff's mother, lived in Southampton, New York, for the last six years of her life, according to the complaint. She died in Palm Beach, Florida, in April 2024 at the age of 95.
Bob Pressman was cut out of his mother's will after years of bickering with his relatives, including his unwillingness to participate in the alleged scheme, a source close to the case told the outlet.
The suit lists Bob as a whistleblower under the New York False Claims Act, meaning he could be entitled to anywhere between 25 and 30 percent of the proceeds recovered. The filing alleges his relatives who were involved in the tax fraud scheme could be liable for more than $50 million worth of taxes and penalties.
