Four members of a family were found guilty by a federal jury in Fort Worth, Texas, for their involvement in a multimillion-dollar tax refund fraud scheme. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould for the Northern District of Texas and the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division.
Court documents and statements revealed that David Hunt from Arlington, Texas; his twin sons Brandon and Baylon Hunt; and their half-brother Corey Burt, formerly of Long Beach, Mississippi, coordinated efforts to file fraudulent tax returns. These returns were submitted in the names of trusts they controlled and sought more than $8.5 million in refunds to which they were not entitled. Brandon Hunt also filed a false return using his own name. Both Brandon and Baylon Hunt sent additional falsified documents—including fake financial instruments and altered money orders—to the IRS as part of their activities. Some documents were provided after the IRS began attempts to recover fraudulently obtained funds.
Despite receiving warning letters from the IRS about their filings, the defendants continued submitting false returns and other related documents. In total, they received over $1.7 million from these false claims. Court records show that proceeds from this fraud were shared among them through internal transfers and used to buy luxury goods such as furniture, cryptocurrency, a Cadillac Escalade, and real estate in Mississippi.
All four individuals were convicted on charges of conspiracy to defraud the United States. Additionally, David Hunt, Brandon Hunt, and Corey Burt were convicted on multiple counts of aiding and assisting in preparing false tax returns; Baylon Hunt was acquitted on two counts related to this charge.
“Fraudulent tax schemes such as this rob the federal fisc and the American taxpayers,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould. “This verdict rightly held all four defendants accountable for their roles in the criminal conduct – a result garnered by the diligent work of IRS-CI, the Tax Section of DOJ’s Criminal Division, and those in my office to bring these individuals to justice.”
“Let this verdict serve as a warning: frivolous tax arguments have no merit and will not shield anyone from prosecution,” said Special Agent in Charge Christopher J. Altemus Jr., IRS Criminal Investigation Dallas Field Office. “Those who attempt to misuse the tax system through baseless claims and deceptive filings not only undermine public trust but also face serious legal consequences. The women and men of IRS-CI remain steadfast in our mission to protect the integrity of the tax system and pursue those who seek to defraud it.”
Sentencing is set for March 26, 2026 before U.S. District Judge Mark Pittman at the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas. Each defendant faces up to five years imprisonment on conspiracy charges plus up to three years per count for filing false returns along with possible fines, restitution payments, and supervised release.
The investigation was conducted by IRS Criminal Investigation with assistance from U.S. Marshals Service agents who located three defendants after they fled during trial proceedings.
Trial Attorneys Melissa Siskind and Daniel Lipkowitz from DOJ’s Tax Section along with Assistant United States Attorney Mark McDonald are handling prosecution duties.
