Branson man pleads guilty to $1.5M tax evasion

A Branson man yesterday admitted he avoided paying taxes on more than $1.5 million in income.

Barry Knudsen, 54, waived his right to a federal grand jury and pleaded guilty to one count of tax evasion and one count of failing to file a tax return, according to a news release from the office of Tammy Dickinson, U.S. attorney for the Western District of Missouri.

Knudsen evaded income taxes 2009-14. During those years, he earned between $229,271 and $286,642 for a total of over $1.5 million during the six-year period. The release did not disclose his occupation, but said he was a shareholder in several businesses.

His scheme resulted in the federal government losing $217,958 and a loss to the state of $46,439, according to the release.

Under federal statutes, Knudsen is subject to a sentence of up to six years in federal prison without parole.