Isaac Johnston, Tax Evasion, Missouri 2023

Table of Contents

Former Corrections Deputy Pleads Guilty to Tax Evasion in Missouri

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – In a shocking turn of events, Isaac Johnston, a former deputy director of the Jackson County Department of Corrections, has pleaded guilty to tax evasion.

According to federal court records, Johnston, 53, of Leavenworth, Kansas, waived his right to a grand jury and pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough to a federal information that charges him with one count of individual income tax evasion.

By pleading guilty, Johnston admitted to failing to file personal income tax returns for tax years 2012 through 2020, resulting in a loss of $215,061 to the IRS. The total taxable income for those years was $1,277,442.

Johnston’s downfall began in 2018 when he filed a Form W-4 with his then-employer, the Jackson County Department of Corrections, claiming to be exempt from federal income tax withholding. He made a similar claim when he filed a Form W-4 with his then-employer, CoreCivic, in 2015.

Under the terms of his plea agreement, Johnston must pay $83,390 (plus interest) in restitution to the IRS, based on total taxable income of $581,479 from 2016 through 2020.

Johnston faces a sentence of up to five years in federal prison without parole. His sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul S. Becker. It was investigated by IRS-Criminal Investigation.

Mandatory Facts:

Defendant/Respondent: Isaac Johnston

Criminal Charges: One count of individual income tax evasion

City and State: Kansas City, Missouri

Exact Date: No specific date mentioned, but the crime occurred from 2012 through 2020

Sentence or Outcome: Pleaded guilty, faces up to five years in federal prison without parole

Dollar Amounts: $215,061 in total personal income tax loss to the IRS, $1,277,442 in total taxable income, $83,390 (plus interest) in restitution to the IRS