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A Lakewood businessman was sentenced to prison Tuesday for tax evasion.

(Eric Heisig/cleveland.com)

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A Lakewood businessman and yacht company owner was sentenced Tuesday to six months in federal prison and fined $500,000 for tax evasion, after an Internal Revenue Service investigation showed that he used money from his companies for lavish vacations and personal expenses.

Thomas G. Klocker will also have to spend six months on home detention, U.S. District Judge Gwin ordered. Klocker has already paid more than $1.2 million in restitution.

The judge told Klocker that it was a "very calculated effort you made the cheat the government of taxes."

Klocker, 47, pleaded guilty in May to four counts of attempting to evade or defeat taxes.

Prosecutors said Klocker took money from All Metal Sales of Westlake between 2007 and 2010 and used it to pay for personal expenses. He did not report this money to the IRS and used some of the money to build a lavish lakefront home in Lakewood.

Klocker also lied to his tax preparers and said his family vacations were business trips. He also reported losses with TT Charter Leasing, which advertises the use of a 68-foot yacht named "Tommy Time."

He also did not report more than $2 million in income, on which he owed $611,673 in taxes. The diverted money was listed in his All Metal Sales' books as legitimate business expenses.

A couple dozen supporters filled the courtroom's viewing gallery. Among those were Cleveland safety director and former police Chief Michael McGrath.

Klocker apologized to the judge and his family on Tuesday.

"I've worked very hard to correct my actions, and I can promise you this will never happen again," Klocker said.

Richard Blake, Klocker's attorney, unsuccessfully argued that a sentence of probation would be more suitable. He said the shame of being convicted of a felony and having to face the public is more of a punishment than prison, where "you relax with a bunch of other felons there."

He also said that Klocker has done a lot of good for the community, and given boat rides to celebrities such as Katy Perry. The singer and her entourage were on his yacht in 2011, when she was in Cleveland for a concert.

The Cleveland Police Foundation named Klocker as its man of the year for 2015.

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