MO Man Gets 23 Months for Tax Dodge

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SPRINGFIELD, MO – Michael Robert Jett, 60, of Independence, Missouri, is headed to federal prison after admitting he stiffed the government – and the state of Missouri – on over $361,000 in taxes. Jett got 23 months in the slammer from U.S. District Judge Douglas Harpool, plus three years of supervised release after that.

Court records show Jett, a salesman for a timeshare operation, pulled the classic ‘sovereign citizen’ routine, falsely claiming he was exempt from income taxes. He convinced his employer to stop withholding taxes from his paychecks, then didn’t bother to pay them himself. When tax season rolled around, Jett either refused to pay up or filed bogus returns, hoping to pull a fast one on the IRS and the Missouri Department of Revenue.

The scheme went on for six years, from 2017 through 2022. Jett’s legal tab: $330,649.43 to Uncle Sam and $30,429.38 to Jefferson City, totaling $361,078.81 in restitution. Basically, he’s gotta pay it all back.

“This is about fairness,” said IRS-Criminal Investigation’s Melissa McFadden. “When you cheat on your taxes, you’re stealing from everyone else.” U.S. Attorney R. Matthew Price chimed in, a little late to the party, reminding everyone to file on time and pay what they owe. Don’t, and you’ll be joining Jett behind bars.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Carney handled the prosecution, with the IRS-CI doing the legwork.