Point Richmond Resident Charged With Tax Evasion

OAKLAND – A Superseding Indictment from a federal grand jury in San Francisco was unsealed in district court today charging Richard Thomas Grant with tax evasion, announced United States Attorney Melinda Haag and Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation, Acting Special Agent in Charge Thomas McMahon.

According to the indictment, Grant, of Point Richmond, is alleged to have failed to pay taxes owed for calendar years 2005 through 2009 by, among other things, concealing assets and income from the IRS. For the years 2005 through 2007, Grant concealed the nature, extent, and location of his assets by using a warehouse bank, prepaid debit cards, cashier’s checks, and postal money orders. For 2008 and 2009, Grant received taxable income of $310,129 and $327,729, respectively and failed to make individual income tax returns and pay income tax to the IRS. During 2008 and 2009, Grant attempted to conceal from the IRS his share of partnership income from Grant Engineering by not filing partnership tax returns and schedules, and concealing his income and assets using cashier’s checks and postal money orders.

Grant was arrested on Friday, Dec. 5, 2014, at his home in Point Richmond, Calif. and made his initial appearance in federal court in Oakland on the same day. Grant was release on a $100,000 unsecured bond. Grant’s next scheduled appearance is at 9:30 a.m. on Dec. 9, 2014, for identification of counsel before the Honorable Kandis A. Westmore, United States District Court Judge.

The maximum statutory sentence for tax evasion, in violation of Title 26 U.S.C. § 7201, is five years in prison and a fine of $250,000 or twice the intended gain or loss, whichever is greater. However, any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.

Colin Sampson is the Assistant U.S. Attorney who is prosecuting the case. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the IRS, Criminal Investigation.

Please note that an indictment contains only allegations. As with all defendants, Richard Thomas Grant must be presumed innocent unless and until he is proven guilty.