Baton Rouge Attorney Michael Thiel Pleads Guilty to Tax Evasion

Baton Rouge criminal defense attorney Michael Thiel, 66, admitted in federal court today that he willfully evaded nearly a million dollars in federal income and employment taxes over an 11-year span. Thiel, once entrusted to defend clients in criminal cases, now stands convicted of orchestrating a calculated scheme to dodge his own legal obligations, using nominee trusts and shell accounts to hide assets and funnel payments.

According to court filings, Thiel operated a law practice in Hammond, Louisiana, where he earned substantial income between 2003 and 2013. Despite this, he failed to file required tax returns or pay what he owed to the IRS. By April 30, the debt had ballooned to $736,527 in unpaid income taxes, penalties, and interest, with an additional $261,725 owed in employment taxes under the same conditions.

In January 2007, Thiel escalated his evasion tactics by purchasing his principal residence in Baton Rouge for $435,000 through nominees who acted on his behalf. A mortgage was secured in the nominees’ names, and Thiel used a nominee bank account—funded through trusts he controlled—to make monthly payments. He then signed a fake lease to disguise those payments as rent, creating a paper trail meant to fool investigators and tax authorities.

From 2007 to 2014, Thiel funneled $416,283.56 into the nominee account from off-the-books sources, further insulating himself from detection. The elaborate facade collapsed under scrutiny from IRS Criminal Investigation, which uncovered the network of trusts and shell entities designed solely to conceal Thiel’s ownership and financial activity.

“Michael Thiel, an attorney, ignored his federal tax obligations and willfully evaded payment of nearly a million dollars in income and employment tax through the use of nominee trusts and accounts,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Caroline D. Ciraolo. “With today’s guilty plea, Thiel is held to account for his criminal conduct, and the Department, working with its colleagues within the IRS, sends a clear message that no one is above the law.”

Sentencing is set for March 22, 2017. Under the terms of his plea agreement, Thiel faces up to 37 months in federal prison, followed by supervised release and further monetary penalties. Special Agent in Charge Jerome R. McDuffie of IRS-CI’s New Orleans Field Office called the plea a victory for U.S. taxpayers, emphasizing that even those sworn to uphold the law aren’t exempt from breaking it—especially when they try to hide behind legal structures they were trained to manipulate.

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