Corona Man Sentenced Over Year Prison $1.2M Stan Lee Tax Fraud

Mac Martin Anderson, a 59-year-old man from Corona, California, was sentenced to a year and one day in federal prison for tax fraud involving over $1.2 million in unreported income from selling memorabilia signed by Stan Lee, the legendary Marvel Comics creator. Anderson, who had a personal relationship with Lee from 2015 to 2018, sold Marvel-themed items bearing Lee's autograph to dealers, brokers, and fans, typically receiving payments in cash or checks that he failed to report on his tax returns. He pleaded guilty to two counts of willfully subscribing to false tax returns and was ordered to pay $482,833 in restitution to the IRS, representing the unpaid taxes from his earnings. The prosecution was led by the U.S. Attorney’s Office and IRS Criminal Investigation, emphasizing that filing false tax returns is a federal crime regardless of the income source. Stan Lee, who died in 2018, remains an iconic figure in comic book history, with his autograph highly valued by collectors. This case highlights the legal consequences of evading taxes on significant income derived from collectible memorabilia sales.