Jennifer Brunenkant, the former owner of a marijuana dispensary in Washington D.C., has pleaded guilty to federal tax evasion charges. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr. and Kareem Carter, Executive Special Agent in Charge of the IRS Criminal Investigation's Washington D.C. Office.
Brunenkant, 68, admitted to failing to pay federal income and employment taxes from 2017 to 2021 related to her business, Herbal Alternatives II, LLC. She also attempted to evade these taxes by falsely claiming on her tax forms that she had filed her federal returns when she had not. During a July 2023 interview with law enforcement, Brunenkant continued this deception by asserting that she had filed her returns.
The case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian P. Kelly and was investigated by IRS Criminal Investigation. Brunenkant is scheduled for sentencing on November 20, 2025, before U.S. District Court Judge Loren L. AliKhan, who will consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors in determining the sentence.
At the sentencing hearing, the government intends to seek restitution exceeding $1.2 million for unpaid federal income and employment taxes.
