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A federal grand jury has indicted the former chief executive of the Salt Lake City-based multilevel marketing company Max International on charges of attempted tax evasion.
The indictment charges Peter N. Nordberg, a former Draper resident, with two counts that carry a maximum prison sentence of up to five years.
Nordberg was CEO of Max International from 2007 through 2011, during which he earned a salary and commissions on sales of the company's nutritional supplements to its network of independent distributors.
In January of 2009, Nordberg created a company called MAX MLM Partners and directed Max International employees to sent his commissions to the new company and to report them to the Internal Revenue Service as non-employee compensation, according to the indictment handed up this week.
In 2009 and 2010, Nordberg allegedly failed to report as income the monies directed to MAX MLM Partners.
If convicted, besides a possible prison term, Nordberg also could be ordered to pay back taxes and fines.
Nordberg's attorney did not immediately return an email seeking a response to the indictment.
Nordberg is to make an initial appearance in court on Jan. 31.