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SPRINGFIELD, MO – Michael Robert Jett, 60, of Independence, Missouri, will spend the next 23 months behind bars after a federal judge slammed him for a six-year scheme to stiff the government on his taxes. Jett, a salesman for a timeshare company, claimed he was exempt from federal and state income taxes – a blatant lie, according to prosecutors.
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The scam ran from 2017 to 2022. Jett convinced his employer not to withhold taxes from his paycheck, then either refused to pay up at tax time or filed bogus returns to avoid payment. The total cost of Jett’s freeloading: $361,078.81, owed to both the US government ($330,649.43) and the State of Missouri ($30,429.38).
U.S. District Judge Douglas Harpool ordered Jett to pay full restitution, plus three years of supervised release after his prison term. IRS-Criminal Investigation and the U.S. Attorney’s Office teamed up on the investigation, sending a clear message: tax evasion isn’t a victimless crime.
“Those who violate our tax laws cause honest taxpayers to lose faith that the system is fair,” said IRS-CI Assistant Special Agent in Charge Melissa McFadden. U.S. Attorney R. Matthew Price added a blunt warning: “You will be prosecuted and face the loss of your freedom if you do not” pay your taxes.