Pueblo Man Arrested For Tax Evasion, Bank Fraud And Interfering With IRS Laws

DENVER – Michael Destry Williams, age 49, of Pueblo, Colorado, was arrested without incident on Wednesday, June 26th on charges of tax evasion, structuring, bank fraud, and interfering with IRS laws, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration and the U.S. Marshals Service announced.   Williams was indicted by federal grand jury in Denver on March 22, 2012, followed by a superseding indictment on July 26, 2012.  Both indictments remained under seal until his arrest.  The U.S. Marshals with assistance from the Pueblo County Sheriff located and apprehended Williams in Pueblo, Colorado after being on the run for over a year from state and federal charges.  Williams was later transported to Denver yesterday for his initial appearance where he was advised of his rights and the charges filed against him. He is due back in court on July 2, 2013 at 2:00 p.m. for arraignment and a detention hearing.

According to the indictment and superseding indictment, Williams was self-employed as a general contractor focusing primarily on residential construction projects, including roofing, remodeling and the repair and restoration of residential structures sustaining fire and water related damage.  He was also self-employed as a real estate investor involved in the purchase, renovation and resale (commonly known, as “fixing and flipping”) of residential properties. Williams operated under the name of Greenview Construction, Inc. a Colorado corporation. 

From April 2005 and continuing through January 2008, Williams willfully attempt to evade a substantial amount of income tax and self-employment tax due and owing by him to the United States of America for calendar years 2005, 2006 and 2007, among other ways, by failing to file income tax returns and to pay to the IRS income tax and self-employment tax.   The indictments allege that Williams established and used trusts as part of his tax evasion scheme. Furthermore, Williams structured over $90,000 in deposited funds from July 2008 through September 2008.

In November or 2009, Williams attempted to defraud a Colorado financial institution by depositing worthless fabricated United States Treasury checks for his own benefit.  There were two false treasury checks totaling $55,000 payable to Greenview Construction.   In February of 2010, there was a third fabricated United States Treasury check in the amount of $250,000 that Williams attempted to negotiate.

From October 2008 through December 2010, Williams mailed numerous frivolous correspondences to the Secretary of the Treasury as well as various IRS offices in an attempt to obstruct and impede the administration of the internal revenue laws.  The obstructive efforts, according to the superseding indictment, included attempts  by Williams to target State of Colorado judicial officers who had presided over three separate state cases in which Williams was named as a defendant.  The superseding indictment alleges, in particular, that Williams sent the IRS criminal referrals accusing one of these judicial officers and the Clerk of the El Paso County District Court with committing criminal tax and related offenses.

Williams was charged with two counts of tax evasion, one count of structuring, two counts of bank fraud, three counts of fictitious obligations and one count of interfering with the administration of internal revenue laws.  Tax evasion and structuring carries a penalty of not more than 5 years in federal prison, and a fine of up to $250,000 per count.  Bank fraud carries a penalty of not more than 30 years in federal prison, and a fine of up to $1,000,000 per count.   Fictitious obligations carries a penalty of not more than 25 years in federal prison, and a fine of up to $1,000,000 per count.  Interfering with the administration of internal revenue laws carries a penalty of not more than 3 years in federal prison, and a fine of up to $250,000 per count.

This case was investigated by agents with IRS Criminal Investigation and U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA).  U.S Marshals with the assistance of the Pueblo County Sheriff’s Office located and apprehended Williams.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth Harmon.

The charges contained in the indictment are allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

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