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ARLINGTON, Texas – A federal grand jury in Fort Worth returned an indictment on June 11, charging four family members with conspiracy to defraud the United States by filing tax returns that sought millions of dollars in false refunds.
False Tax Returns Filed
The backstory:
According to court documents, beginning in 2016, David Hunt, of Arlington, Texas, his twin sons, Brandon Hunt and Baylon Hunt, also of Arlington, and Brandon and Baylon’s half-brother Corey Burt, of Mississippi, allegedly conspired to file false tax returns in the name of purported trusts that sought over $8.5 million in tax refunds that the trusts were not entitled to receive.
Brandon Hunt also filed a false return in his own name. Collectively, the defendants allegedly received more than $1 million from the IRS based on those false tax returns.
Brandon and Baylon Hunt also allegedly submitted additional fake documents to the IRS as part of their scheme, including falsified financial instruments and altered money orders.
The indictment further alleges that they shared in the proceeds of their fraud by transferring money between themselves. The defendants also allegedly used the refunds to purchase luxury goods, cryptocurrency, and real estate.
The Charges
Big picture view:
Each defendant was charged with conspiracy as well as aiding and assisting in the preparation of tax returns. If convicted, each defendant faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison on the conspiracy charge and a maximum penalty of three years in prison for each count of aiding and assisting in the preparation of a false tax return.
The defendants also face a period of supervised release, restitution, and monetary penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The Source: Information in this article is from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Texas.
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