MO Salesman Gets 23 Months for Tax Dodge

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SPRINGFIELD, MO – A slick-talking timeshare salesman from Independence, Missouri is trading deals for detention after a federal judge slapped him with 23 months in prison for a years-long tax evasion scheme. Michael Robert Jett, 60, got the sentence from U.S. District Judge Douglas Harpool today, along with three years of supervised release and a hefty $361,078.81 restitution order.

Jett, who worked as a salesperson, pulled the fast one by claiming he was exempt from both federal and state income taxes. He convinced his employer to stop withholding taxes from his paychecks, then simply refused to pay what he owed. When that didn’t work, he started filing bogus tax returns, hoping to fly under the radar.

Between 2017 and 2022, Jett stiffed the government and the state of Missouri, racking up $330,649.43 owed to the feds and another $30,429.38 to Jefferson City. Prosecutors say it was a calculated, six-year effort to avoid his financial obligations.

“He was stealing, plain and simple,” said IRS-Criminal Investigation Assistant Special Agent in Charge Melissa McFadden. U.S. Attorney R. Matthew Price added a warning: “Don’t think you can cheat the system. You will be prosecuted.”

Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Carney handled the prosecution, with the IRS-Criminal Investigation division leading the probe.