Gregory P. Boyd faces up to nine years in federal prison after a jury in Austin convicted him last week of filing income tax returns that did not accurately reflect his income, announced United States Attorney Robert Pitman and Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation Special Agent In Charge Steve McCullough.
Last Thursday, jurors convicted Boyd of three counts of filing fraudulent income tax returns. Evidence and testimony presented during trial revealed that Boyd knowingly filed false income tax returns for 2004, 2005 and 2006. On each tax return, Boyd declared that he received zero income when in fact, he received roughly $180,000 in 2004, about $390,000 in 2005, and approximately $225,000 in 2006. The parties stipulated that Boyd owed income tax in the amount of $26,688 for 2004, at least $102,237 for 2005, and $49,155 for 2006.
Evidence at trial revealed that Boyd had not paid income taxes on any of the years 2004 through 2011. Boyd, who played football at the University of Arizona and then played in the NFL during the 1973 and 1974 seasons, worked in the field of real estate development during 2004, 2005 and 2006.
Boyd testified during the trial that he believed his tax returns were true and complied with the law, based on ideas he learned from the book “Cracking the Code" by Peter Eric Hendrickson. Hendrickson appeared at trial in Austin last week and testified as a witness for the defense. Boyd specifically testified that he believed, based on Hendrickson’s book, that the income tax applies only to the income of federal government employees and federal government contractors, as well as income derived from investments in federal government securities.
“Tax crimes cheat not only the government, but also every honest citizen who follows the rules and meets his or her obligations. We owe it to these citizens to bring justice to those who willfully break the tax laws," stated U.S. Attorney Robert Pitman.
Boyd remains on a $25,000 unsecured bond pending sentencing scheduled for 9:00am on Feb. 10, 2014, before U.S. District Judge Sam Sparks in Austin.
“Taxpayers need to be aware that frivolous tax arguments and schemes can land them in prison. All of these arguments have been repeatedly defeated in our courts, to include the Supreme Court. Mr. Boyd found out the hard way that Juries understand that we all must pay our taxes to keep our society free and functioning," stated Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation Special Agent In Charge Steve McCullough.
This investigation was conducted by the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Alan Buie.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
