Four family members have been convicted of filing false tax returns and collecting more than $1.7 million.
David Hunt, his twin sons, Brandon and Baylon Hunt, and their half-brother, Corey Burt, allegedly filed tax returns in the names of supposed trusts they controlled, seeking more than $8.5 million in unentitled tax refunds, according to a press release from the Department of Justice.
A federal jury in Fort Worth convicted them on December 11.
Overall, the defendants fraudulently received more than $1.7 million from the IRS, according to the release. They allegedly shared the proceeds, buying a house in Mississippi, a Cadillac Escalade, cryptocurrency, furniture, and luxury goods.
“Fraudulent tax schemes such as this rob the federal fisc and the American taxpayers,” said U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould in the release. “This verdict rightly held all four defendants accountable for their roles in the criminal conduct.”
All four defendants were convicted of conspiracy to defraud the United States, according to the release. David and Brandon Hunt, and Corey Burt were also convicted for aiding and assisting in the preparation of false tax returns. Baylon Hunt, however, was acquitted on two such counts.
Their sentencing is set for March 26, before U.S. District Judge Mark Pittman. They could face up to five years in federal prison for conspiracy, and up to three years in prison for each false tax return charge.
“They also face monetary penalties, restitution, and terms of supervised release,” the release reads.
The Hunts were from Arlington, and Burt was reportedly formerly from Long Beach, Mississippi.
Brandon Hunt allegedly filed a false return in his own name, while he and Baylon submitted fake documents, “falsified financial instruments,” and altered money orders as part of the scheme.
“Some of these documents were submitted to the IRS in response to IRS efforts to collect the fraudulently-obtained refunds,” the release reads. They continued filing false returns and other documents, even after the IRS warned them about the submissions.
IRS-Criminal Investigation tracked down this case, while the U.S. Marshals Service helped find and arrest three defendants who “fled mid-trial.”
“Let this verdict serve as a warning: frivolous tax arguments have no merit and will not shield anyone from prosecution,” said Christopher Altemus Jr., special agent in charge of IRS-CI Dallas, in the release. “Those who attempt to misuse the tax system through baseless claims and deceptive filings not only undermine public trust, but also face serious legal consequences.”
The CEO of a Dallas staffing company was recently sentenced to more than eight years, after she allegedly withheld taxes from employees and never paid them to the IRS, as The Dallas Express reported at the time. The former president of an Oklahoma bank was also charged earlier in December for fake loans and hiding defaults from regulators.