Shawn Smith, Tax Evasion, Michigan 2020

A Michigan attorney was charged with a serious crime, filing false tax returns and willfully failing to file tax returns. Shawn Smith, who calls himself “Shawn the Law,” is a lawyer residing in Birmingham, Michigan.

According to the indictment, for 2017 through 2020, Smith allegedly filed false individual income tax returns that did not report hundreds of thousands of dollars of gross receipts that he earned from his law business. In addition, Smith allegedly did not file an individual income tax return for 2021 and 2022.

The indictment alleges that Smith filed false tax returns, which is a felony offense. If convicted, Smith faces a maximum penalty of three years in prison for each false return count and a maximum penalty of one year in prison for each count of failing to file a tax return.

A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The indictment was returned by a federal grand jury in Detroit, Michigan on an unknown date.

The case is being investigated by IRS Criminal Investigation. Trial Attorneys Jeffrey A. McLellan and Kenneth C. Vert of the Tax Division are prosecuting the case.

An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The outcome of the case remains to be seen.

Smith's alleged crimes have serious consequences. If convicted, he faces up to six years in prison, the maximum penalty for both counts.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/archives/opa/pr/michigan-attorney-indicted-tax-charges