Page "Eliot Ness" Paragraph 5

The efforts of Ness and his team had a serious impact on Capone's operations ; the main task of the Untouchables was to deprive Capone of the income sources for the graft payments that were his greatest protection, with an ancillary concern being the maintenance of public awareness of the federal government's activity against Capone.

However, Ness had very little to do with the IRS prosecuting Capone for income tax evasion, which led to Capone's downfall.

In a number of federal grand jury cases in 1931, Capone was charged with 22 counts of tax evasion and also 5, 000 violations of the Volstead Act.

On October 17, 1931, Capone was sentenced to 11 years in prison, and following a failed appeal, he began his sentence in 1932.