Timeshare Salesman Faces 23 Months for Tax Dodge

⏱ 3 min read

Michael Jett, 60, is headed to the federal slammer for 23 months. The Independence, Missouri, timeshare salesman spent six years stiffing the IRS, cooking the books to avoid paying what he owed between 2017 and 2022. Jett didn’t just forget to file; he actively lied, claiming bogus exemptions and convincing his employer to stop withholding taxes. It was a calculated hustle, and it backfired.

The feds say Jett racked up $361,078.81 in unpaid taxes – $330,649.43 to the federal government and $30,429.38 to the State of Missouri. He allegedly submitted false returns and outright refused to pay what he owed. The IRS-Criminal Investigation division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office caught on, putting the squeeze on Jett and bringing the scheme to light.

“Falsifying documents to avoid paying taxes is stealing,” stated IRS Special Agent in Charge Melissa McFadden, stating the obvious. U.S. Attorney R. Matthew Price added the standard warning about messing with taxes and facing jail time. Judge Douglas Harpool didn’t mess around, sentencing Jett to 23 months and ordering full restitution of the $361,078.81.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Carney handled the prosecution. Jett will also face three years of supervised release after he finishes his sentence. Another white-collar crook hoping to beat the system—another failure.