Hayden O’Byrne United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida | The Florida Bar
Eston “Dusty” Melton III, a lobbyist based in Miami-Dade and Palm Beach Counties, has been sentenced to 18 months in federal prison for evading over $2 million in federal income taxes. The sentencing took place on June 17, 2025.
Court documents reveal that Melton operated a lobbying business across both counties. Between 2005 and 2014, he filed personal federal income tax returns with a total liability of $1,313,840. With added penalties and interest, his debt increased to $2,143,381. Melton managed to pay only $62,100 towards this amount while the IRS collected an additional $537,231 through liens and levies.
From 2012 to 2021, Melton engaged in activities designed to conceal his assets and income from the IRS. When informed by an IRS Revenue Officer about potential foreclosure on his house due to unpaid taxes, Melton appeared cooperative by listing the house for sale but undermined its actual sale process. He eventually sold the property six years later.
Melton also employed other strategies to evade IRS collection efforts. He paid approximately $80,000 in cash from his business to his wife and transferred all clients to a new lobbying firm ostensibly owned by her while continuing services there with minimal compensation. Additionally, he facilitated the purchase of a home solely under her name using funds mainly from his business and transferred ownership of vehicles and life insurance policies into her name.
Besides the prison term, U.S. District Judge Robin L. Rosenberg ordered Melton to serve three years of supervised release and pay restitution amounting to $1,736,586.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Bryne for the Southern District of Florida along with Emmanuel Gomez from IRS Criminal Investigation who investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Marc Osborne prosecuted this case.
Further information is available on the United States Attorney’s Office website for the Southern District of Florida at www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl or through related court documents at www.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 25-cr-80001.
