Alabama Chiropractor Pleads Guilty to Tax Evasion and Obstruction

Shortly after trial began, an Alabama chiropractor pleaded guilty yesterday to tax evasion and obstructing the IRS.

The following is according to court documents and evidence admitted at trial: Gary Forrest Edwards, of Shelby County, Alabama, owned and operated the chiropractic practice Hoover Health & Wellness Center. After not filing income tax returns for many years, in 2015, Edwards filed tax returns for 2009 through 2013. He later filed a tax return for 2017. On these returns, Edwards admitted that he owed more than $2.5 million in taxes. Nevertheless, he did not pay the taxes he reported due and did not pay the interest and penalties assessed against him.

Edwards took steps to thwart the IRS’s efforts to assess and collect taxes against him, including concealing financial accounts he owned from the IRS, transferring funds from accounts he owned to accounts in only his spouse’s name, filing false court documents to terminate federal tax liens against his property, and lying to IRS criminal investigators.

Edwards will be sentenced later this year. He faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison for the evasion charge and a maximum sentence of three years in prison on the obstruction charge. He also faces a period of supervised release, restitution, and monetary penalties. U.S. District Court Judge Anna Manasco for the Northern District of Alabama will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona for the Northern District of Alabama made the announcement.

IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.

Trial Attorney Isaiah Boyd of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Allison Garnett for the Northern District of Alabama are prosecuting the case.