Adrian C. Hammond, Jr., Federal Supervised Release Violation, Louisiana 2024

Crime Pays, But Supervised Release Doesn't: Adrian C. Hammond, Jr. Sentenced to 24 Months in Federal Prison

A Baton Rouge concert promoter and restaurateur has been sent to federal prison for violating the terms of his supervised release. Adrian C. Hammond, Jr., 41, was sentenced to 24 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge John W. deGravelles.

According to court documents, Hammond was convicted of bank fraud, money laundering, and obstructing the due administration of the Internal Revenue Code in 2017. The convictions stemmed from two separate, but related, criminal schemes. First, Hammond defrauded a local bank by submitting false documents in support of a loan application for a new restaurant. After obtaining the bank's money, Hammond caused a series of financial transactions intended to conceal and disguise the funds.

Meanwhile, Hammond had a significant unpaid tax liability with the Internal Revenue Service, and the IRS was taking steps to collect what Hammond owed. Hammond engaged in a series of acts intended to obstruct the IRS, including allowing a fictitious document to be filed in the 19th Judicial District Court that purported to withdraw a tax lien that the IRS had properly filed against Hammond. He then engaged in a series of transactions that circumvented an IRS levy and enabled Hammond to obtain funds for promoting a concert on the campus of Southern University, which funds should have been paid to the IRS.

Hammond was previously sentenced to serve 12 months and one day in federal prison in August 2018. He was ordered to pay approximately $258,000 in restitution and to forfeit an additional $213,656.12. The Court ordered Hammond to serve a three-year term of supervised release following his release from prison.

However, Hammond failed to comply with the terms of his supervised release. He failed to timely report to his supervising probation officer his March 2021 arrest by the Baton Rouge Police Department, during which Hammond was stopped while allegedly driving more than 100 miles an hour, and which led to his arrest for DWI (second offense), reckless driving, and several other offenses. The Court also found that Hammond had failed to comply with court-ordered substance abuse testing and treatment.

The original investigation was led by the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, which received valuable assistance from the Internal Revenue Service's Examination and Collection Divisions. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Alan Stevens.

Hammond is currently serving his 24-month sentence in federal prison. He is also ordered to pay his outstanding restitution balance of approximately $250,000.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-mdla/pr/baton-rouge-concert-promoter-and-restaurateur-sent-federal-prison-violations-supervised