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SPRINGFIELD, MO – A Missouri salesman is trading time-shares for time inside, after a federal judge slammed him with a 23-month sentence for dodging taxes. Michael Robert Jett, 60, of Independence, Missouri, learned his fate in federal court today, also ordered to pay back a hefty $361,078.81 to the US and Missouri state governments.
Jett, who worked selling time-shares, pulled the classic move: claimed he was exempt from income tax. His employer, believing the lie, stopped withholding anything from his paycheck. But Jett didn’t just *stop* paying; he actively avoided it, filing bogus returns or no returns at all for six years – 2017 through 2022.
Federal prosecutors say Jett knowingly and willingly refused to meet his tax obligations. The IRS-Criminal Investigation division dug into his finances, ultimately building the case that landed him in court. The feds are making an example of him, saying folks need to understand that cheating on taxes isn’t just a paperwork problem, it’s theft.
“Those who violate our tax laws cause honest taxpayers to lose faith that the system is fair,” said IRS-Criminal Investigation Assistant Special Agent in Charge Melissa McFadden. U.S. Attorney R. Matthew Price added a pointed reminder: “This time of year is a good reminder…You will be prosecuted and face the loss of your freedom if you do not [pay your taxes].”
Jett owes $330,649.43 to the federal government and $30,429.38 to the state of Missouri. Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Carney prosecuted the case.