Brookland Man Gets Pinched for Tax Evasion – Faces 5-Year Prison Sentence

Brookland man Ronnie Lyn Drummond, 52, of Brookland, Arkansas, has pleaded guilty to tax evasion, a federal crime that can land him up to 5 years in prison and a $100,000 fine.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Arkansas, Drummond owned and operated an information technology business that provided services to various governmental entities. However, he failed to timely file tax returns for the tax years of 2008 – 2012 and when he eventually filed, he didn’t pay the taxes he owed.

The investigation revealed that Drummond received $1,044,043.05 in gross receipts between 2014 and 2017, but cashed the majority of the checks to conceal his income from the Internal Revenue Service. The tax loss, excluding interest and penalties, is $177,357.98.

Drummond was indicted on May 4, 2023, and charged with one count of tax evasion and one count of failure to file taxes. In exchange for his guilty plea to tax evasion, the remaining count was dismissed.

U.S. Attorney Jonathan D. Ross said, “Law-abiding U.S. citizens who responsibly file their tax returns each year and pay their taxes expect those who won’t, to be held accountable. Unlike the vast majority of his fellow citizens, Mr. Drummond chose to conceal income; to not file his tax returns for several years; and to fail to pay the amounts he knew were owed to the Internal Revenue Service.”

IRS Special Agent in Charge Christopher J. Altemus Jr. added, “Every U.S. Citizen has the common duty of paying their fair share of taxes, which in turn helps provide for the general welfare and the common defense of this great Nation. The women and men of IRS Criminal Investigation will continue to bring people to justice who blatantly disregard their civic duty and willfully break the law by evading their taxes.”

Drummond is expected to be sentenced by Judge James M. Moody, Jr. at a later date. The case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service with assistance from the Housing and Urban Development Office of Inspector General.