April 21, 2011
Department of Justice
United States Attorney William C. Killian Eastern District of Tennessee
BLOUNT COUNTY COUPLE SENTENCED TO PRISON FOR TAX EVASION SCHEME
KNOXVILLE, Tenn - Brett Edward Dirr, 47, and Renee Dirr, 53, of Walland, Tenn., were sentenced on April 21, 2011, by the Honorable Thomas W. Phillips, U.S. District Judge, to serve five months in prison, followed by five months of home confinement, and three years of supervised release. The Dirrs were also ordered to pay restitution to the United States of $208,786.92. This sentence followed their guilty pleas to conspiracy to defraud the United States on February 17, 2010.
According to court documents, the Dirrs conspired to defraud the United States by impeding the ability of the Internal Revenue Service to assess and collect federal income taxes. This was accomplished by failing to file tax returns, concealing the ownership of assets in nominee trusts and purchasing a “Reliance Defense Package” for the purpose of establishing a defense to possible tax prosecution.
This investigation was conducted by the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Charles E. Atchley, Jr. and Frank M Dale represented the United States.
