Federal jury convicts Louisville attorney of tax evasion

 

Date: June 17, 2022

Contact: newsroom@ci.irs.gov

A federal jury convicted Keith Hunter today for engaging in tax evasion following a five-day trial held in the United States District Court for the Western District of Kentucky.

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Keith Hunter, an attorney from Louisville, Kentucky, evaded the payment of federal income taxes, penalties, and interest due and owing by him to the United States, for the calendar years 2000, 2001, 2002, 2006, 2008, and 2011, totaling $1,124,620 by concealing assets in various ways.  Among the methods Hunter used to conceal his assets from the United States Internal Revenue Service were storing personal income in a client escrow account, storing personal income in a nominee bank account, purchasing a home through a nominee as an alleged charitable donation, and by recycling cashier's checks, which is the practice of engaging in a cycle of purchasing a cashier's check, using a small portion of the check, and then purchasing another cashier's check of lesser value. The evidence presented at trial showed that Hunter also intentionally provided false and misleading information regarding his assets and income to Internal Revenue Service civil collections personnel.

The jury found Hunter guilty of evasion of payment of tax in violation of Title 26, United States Code, Section 7201. Hunter faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. There is no parole in the federal system. Hunter will be scheduled to appear before a federal district court judge who will determine his sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky and Special Agent in Charge Bryant Jackson, of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation made the announcement.

The Internal Revenue Service is investigating the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Amanda E. Gregory and Joel King are prosecuting the case.