YOUR BUSINESS AUTHORITY

Springfield, MO

Log in Subscribe

Local men indicted on multimillion-dollar tax evasion scheme

Posted online
Two local men were indicted last week for their roles in a conspiracy to avoid paying taxes on $4.7 million in receipts.

Wesley Delport, 68, of Ozark, and Alton Vaughn Sr., 58, of Greene County, were charged in a six-count indictment returned under seal by a grand jury in Springfield Dec. 9 and made public Dec. 12 upon their arrests and initial court appearances. The men remain in federal custody pending a Dec. 17 detention hearing, according to a news release from the office of Tammy Dickinson, U.S. attorney for the Western District of Missouri.

The former owner of Springfield holistic health clinic Abundant Health & Wellness, Delport allegedly received approximately $4.7 million in gross receipts from Jan. 1, 2004, to Dec. 31, 2013, which he did not report to the Internal Revenue Service. Vaughn, who was self-employed and made money helping others prepare their federal income tax returns, allegedly advised and assisted Delport in his attempts to avoid the IRS.

The indictment claims Delport created an entity dubbed the The Shammah Foundation in May 2002 in Washington state. The allegations accuse Delport of transferring funds from Abundant Health & Wellness to the bank accounts of The Shammah Foundation, using that account to pay personal expenses and not report the funds to the IRS, according to the release.

The indictment also alleges Delport attempted to delay an IRS investigation of his taxes by describing himself as a “sovereign national” and calling the IRS “a bogus agency not of government.”

The two men also allegedly attempted to block the criminal investigation by falsely reporting to the Treasury inspector general for tax administration that an IRS revenue officer and criminal investigator had threatened Delport, the release said.

Delport and Vaughn are charged together in one count of conspiring to defraud the government. Delport also is charged with one count of obstructing or impeding the administration of internal revenue laws and two counts of filing false income tax returns. Vaughn is also charged with two counts of aiding and assisting the filing of false income tax returns.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven Mohlhenrich and  investigated by IRS-Criminal Investigation and the Treasury inspector general for tax administration.[[In-content Ad]]

Comments

No comments on this story |
Please log in to add your comment
Editors' Pick
From the Ground Up: Republic Intermediate School

The Republic School District is on track to open its Intermediate School for fifth- and sixth-grade students for the 2025-26 academic year.

Most Read
Update cookies preferences