Four family members were convicted by a Fort Worth jury Thursday for attempting to steal millions of dollars from the U.S. government in a fraudulent tax return scheme, federal officials announced.
David Hunt and his twin sons Brandon and Baylon Hunt, of Arlington, along with the twins’ half-brother Corey Burt of Mississippi, orchestrated a scheme to file tax returns in the names of trusts they said they controlled, according to allegations in court documents and statements made in court.
“While we respect the jury’s role, we obviously disagree with the outcome,” said Victor Sikeley, an attorney representing David Hunt. “Our firm will continue to represent Mr. Hunt vigorously within the bounds of the law.”
Attorneys representing other family members did not respond to requests for comment Saturday.
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The defendants sought more than $8.5 million in tax refunds that the trusts were not entitled to receive, according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Brandon Hunt filed a false tax return in his name, according to the statement, and the twins submitted fake documents to the IRS that included altered money orders. Some fake documents were submitted in response to the tax enforcement agency’s attempts to collect fraudulently obtained refunds.
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The family, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, kept filing false returns and documents after receiving warning letters, and managed to get more than $1.7 million from the IRS.
The family members allegedly transferred money between themselves, according to the statement, and bought luxury goods, furniture, cryptocurrency, a Cadillac Escalade and a house in Mississippi with the refunds.
The four men were convicted of conspiring to defraud the federal government. David and Brandon Hunt, as well as Corey Burt, were also convicted of multiple counts of aiding and assisting in the preparation of false tax returns, according to federal officials. Baylon Hunt was acquitted of two counts of aiding and assisting in the preparation of false tax returns.
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Their sentencing is scheduled for March 26. They face up to five years in prison on the conspiracy charge and up to three years in prison on each false tax return charge.
Three of the defendants fled mid-trial, according to a statement, and were found and arrested with the help of the U.S. Marshals Service, according to federal officials.
“Let this verdict serve as a warning: frivolous tax arguments have no merit and will not shield anyone from prosecution,” special agent Christopher Altemus Jr. of the IRS Criminal Investigation’s Dallas Field Office said in a statement. “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.”
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