Sentencing for Tax Fraud Once Again Proves You Can’t Hide Behind Your Reputation, Office, or Job

It is something of a common refrain on this blog, but it bears repeating: You will not be immunized from suspicion of tax fraud regardless of your level of success, community standing, or offices you hold. Unfortunately, many people still seem to believe that these and other characteristics place them in a position where their conduct and dealings are beyond reproach. All too often, these professionals and others with high standing in the community are brought back down to earth when an audit or investigation reveal fraud leading to a subsequent conviction or guilty plea. Not only do these individuals lose the reputation they worked so hard to build, but also they face serious criminal penalties.

If you are considering committing tax fraud because you believe that you will never be suspected of the crime, think again. If you are already are facing a tax audit or charges for failing to report income connected to the fraud, contact an experienced tax lawyer today. The aggressive and strategic tax lawyers of The Tax Law Offices of David W. Klasing can fight to mitigate the consequences you face. Schedule a reduced-rate, confidential tax consultation by calling 800-681-1295 today.

Former State Senator Pleaded Guilty to Tax & Wire Fraud Charges

Rick Brinkley fits the archetypical model for a person that most people would simply never suspect of being capable of wrongdoing. Brinkley is a minister and an individual who proudly served as the public face of an organization commonly associated with trust. As the public face of the Better Business Bureau in the Tulsa area, Brinkley served as President/CEO of Eastern Oklahoma's Better Business Bureau from 1999 to 2011 and then as the company’s Chief Operating Officer. Brinkley was also a Republican State Senator who was closely associated with moral values.

However, the first public signs of Brinkley’s problems likely emerged in April 2015 when he was fired by the BBB. Apparently, an audit of the company revealed irregularities relating back to Brinkley. Then in June of 2015, Brinkley resigned from his leadership positions in the State Senate. At the same time, it was announced that Brinkley was under investigation for embezzlement by the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation and a campaign funding investigation by the Oklahoma Ethics Commission.

In August of 2015, Brinkley announced his resignation from his State Senate seat citing personal reasons. As it later became clear, at the time of his resignation Brinkley was being sued by his former employer for using company money to pay expenses related to “his mortgage, pool cleaner, personal credit card invoices, and to support a hidden gambling habit, in an amount believed to be in excess of $1,000,000.” While the resignation was originally announced to be effective on December 31, 2015, Brinkley resigned, effective immediately, on August 20, 2015, after prosecutors announced wire fraud and tax evasion charges.

News reports from earlier in the summer of 2015 indicate that many believed that Brinkley was in line to become the next leader of the state Senate. But, with one pull at a thread of Brinkley’s fraud, everything came apart in rapid fashion.