Ex-police officer charged with George Floyd murder also charged with tax fraud
22 July 2020, 22:38
An ex-cop charged with second-degree murder in the death of George Floyd has now been hit with multiple felony counts of tax evasion.
Derek Chauvin and his wife, Kellie May Chauvin, have each charged in Washington County with nine counts of tax fraud spanning from 2014 to 2019.
According to legal documents, the pair underreported their joint income by $464,433 (£364,751). They now owe $21,853 (£17,162) in taxes but with interest and penalty fees it comes to a total of $37,868 (£29,740).
Mr Floyd, a black man who was handcuffed, died on May 25 after Chauvin, who is white, pressed his knee against his neck for eight minutes as he pleaded for air.
Mr Floyd's death sparked world-wide protests around the globe after video footage of the incident was posted on social media.
The US also saw mass riots across the country, in which US President Donald Trump threatened to deploy the US Army to quell.
Read more: Wife of cop charged with George Floyd's murder files for divorce
Chauvin is currently being held in custody charged with second-degree murder, third-degree murder and manslaughter.
He and three other officers - who each face charges of aiding and abetting second-degree murder and manslaughter - were all fired.
Kellie Chauvin, who filed for divorce after Mr Floyd's death, is not in custody, but has been in contact with her husband regarding the tax charges.
Washington County lawyer Pete Orput said the investigation into the Chauvins was started in June by the Minnesota Department of Revenue and Oakdale Police Department.
Authorities allege in the criminal complaints that the Chauvins failed to file income tax returns and pay state income taxes, and that they underreported and underpaid taxes on income they earned from various jobs each year.
The complaints allege that they also failed to pay proper sales tax on a 100,000 US dollar BMW purchased in Minnesota in 2018.
Prosecutors say the Chauvins bought the car in Minnetonka but registered it in Florida, where they paid lower sales taxes.
