NEWS RELEASE

OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES ATTORNEY

WESTERN DISTRICT OF MISSOURI

MATT J. WHITWORTH

Contact Don Ledford, Public Affairs ● (816) 426-4220 ● 400 East Ninth Street, Room 5510 ● Kansas City, MO 64106

www.usdoj.gov/usao/mow/index.html

OCTOBER 6, 2009

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

FORMER CORPORATE EXECUTIVE PLEADS GUILTY

TO FAILING TO FILE TAX RETURNS

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Matt J. Whitworth, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a former Springfield, Mo., resident pleaded guilty in federal court today to failing to file tax returns on millions of dollars in income.

Ronald E. Kirkland, 64, of Atlanta, Ga., formerly of Springfield, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge James C. England this morning to a two-count federal information that charges him with failing to file tax returns.

Kirkland was a sales representative and independent contractor for American Family Life Assurance Company (AFLAC) at the time of the offenses. He operated his own insurance business and served as AFLAC’s Missouri sales manager, during which time he was paid as an independent contractor rather than an employee. In 2004, Kirkland was promoted to senior vice-president and director of sales, which was a salaried position at the company’s headquarters in Atlanta, Ga.

During 2002, Kirkland admitted, he received gross income of approximately $1,882,786 but did not file an income tax return the following year as required by law. During 2003, Kirkland admitted, he received gross income of approximately $2,072,904 but did not file an income tax return the following year as required by law.

Kirkland also admitted that he failed to file tax returns for the years 2004 and 2005. During that four-year period from 2002 to 2005, Kirkland received total gross income of approximately $6,325,333. In each of those years, Kirkland filed for extensions of his deadline, but never filed returns.

Under federal statutes, Kirkland is subject to a sentence of up to two years in federal prison without parole, plus a fine up to $200,000. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven M. Mohlhenrich. It was investigated by IRS-Criminal Investigation.

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