Shelby County Man Arrested on Charges of Tax Evasion
Thursday, October 16, 2008 | 10:51am
NASHVILLE - The Special Investigations Section of the Tennessee Department of Revenue conducted the investigation that led to the arrest of Randall A. Dunn, age 46, of Bartlett, Tenn.
Wednesday morning, Shelby County Sheriff’s Deputies arrested Dunn on two counts of tax evasion. The bond was set at $5,000.
On Oct. 9, 2008, a Shelby County Grand Jury returned the two-count indictment for falsification of a record in violation of Tenn. Code Ann. Section 67-1-1440(d) and willfully attempting to evade tax in violation of Tenn. Code Ann. Section 67-1-1440(g). Both charges are Class E felonies. The indictments charged that on May 2, 2006, Dunn filed false and fraudulent documents with the Shelby County Clerk’s Office intentionally understating the actual purchase price of a Tigé 21 V Limited boat and trailer resulting in his willful failure to remit $1,739.60 of use tax due the state of Tennessee.
“The Department of Revenue promotes voluntary taxpayer compliance by educating taxpayers, aggressively pursuing criminal sanctions and demanding accountability when taxpayers engage in fraudulent activity," said Revenue Commissioner Reagan Farr. "This investigation underscores our department's ongoing efforts to enforce Tennessee's tax laws."
If convicted, Dunn could be sentenced to a maximum of two years in the state penitentiary and fined $3,000 for each tax evasion count. Additionally, civil taxes, penalties and interest will be due the state once the criminal case is concluded.
This case was pursued criminally by the department in cooperation with District Attorney General William L. Gibbons’ Office. Citizens who suspect violations of the Tennessee revenue laws should call the toll-free tax fraud hot line at (800) FRAUDTX (372-8389).
The Department of Revenue is responsible for the administration of state tax laws and motor vehicle title and registration laws established by the legislature and the collection of taxes and fees associated with those laws. The Department of Revenue collects approximately 92 percent of total state tax revenue. During the 2007-2008 fiscal year, the department collected $11.2 billion in state taxes and fees. In addition to collecting state taxes, $1.9 billion of local sales tax was collected by the department for local governments during the 2007-2008 fiscal year.Besides collecting taxes, the department enforces the revenue laws fairly and impartially in an effort to encourage voluntary taxpayer compliance. The department also apportions revenue collections for distribution to the various state funds and local units of government. To learn more about the department, log on to www.Tennessee.gov/revenue.
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