Big Lake, Alaska oncologist Larry Lawson is staring down federal prison after being indicted on multiple counts of tax evasion spanning four years — 2009 through 2012. The charges, initially filed in October 2016 and later expanded by superseding indictment, accuse Lawson of funneling his income through shell entities and fabricating charitable deductions to dodge federal taxes.
Lawson, who practiced under Midnight Sun Oncology Inc., allegedly filed false individual and corporate tax returns that inflated charitable contributions to nonprofit organizations. According to the superseding indictment, he claimed deductions for donations made to a nonprofit in Arizona — while knowingly receiving valuable items in return, which under IRS rules invalidates full tax deductibility. He’s accused of lying to an IRS agent during an audit, falsely stating he received no benefits from those contributions.
The scheme didn’t stop at false filings. Prosecutors allege Lawson created From the Vault Inc., a not-for-profit Alaskan corporation, as a front to hide and store his personal collection of fossils, dinosaur artifacts, rare books, maps, and manuscripts. The entity was used as a nominee to launder his income and conceal assets, a move investigators say was designed to mask his true financial picture from federal authorities.
Now facing the full weight of the federal tax code, Lawson is charged with four counts of tax evasion — one for each year from 2009 to 2012 — and one count of obstructing and impeding the internal revenue laws. Each tax evasion count carries a statutory maximum of five years in prison; the obstruction charge adds up to three years. He also risks steep monetary penalties and a period of supervised release if convicted.
The case was investigated by IRS-Criminal Investigation and is being prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Lori A. Hendrickson and Timothy M. Russo of the Justice Department’s Tax Division, alongside Assistant U.S. Attorney Retta-Rae Randall. U.S. Attorney Karen L. Loeffler of the District of Alaska and Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Caroline D. Ciraolo commended the investigative team, calling the alleged conduct a deliberate assault on federal tax compliance.
An indictment is not a conviction. Larry Lawson is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law, where the government must establish guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. The case continues to unfold in federal court, serving as a stark reminder that even high-earning professionals aren’t above the reach of the IRS — or federal indictment.
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Key Facts
- State: Alaska
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: Official Source ↗
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