Former Lawmaker Convicted of Tax Evasion
federal court jury in Shreveport on Monday convicted former state senator Charles D. Jones of tax evasion.
The jury deliberated much of the afternoon before finding Jones, of Monroe, guilty on all three counts against him. Sentencing is set for Dec. 6. Jones, 60, will remain free pending sentencing.
Jones was accused of filing false tax returns and tax evasion. His first trial earlier this year ended in a mistrial after the jury could not reach a unanimous verdict.
Jones was tried in Shreveport because attorneys had trouble finding an unbiased jury in Monroe.
Federal prosecutors said Jones, who is an attorney, tried to hide legal fees from two cases. They alleged that Jones did it because the IRS had garnished his state Senate wages for years to recover back taxes. Prosecutors said Jones cost the government around $190,000.
Jones had pleaded not guilty, saying it was the result of sloppy bookkeeping and not fraud. His lawyer noted Jones paid more than $400,000 in income taxes during the time prosecutors allege he evaded taxes.
Copyright 2010 KTBS. The Associated Press contributed to this report. All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
The following are comments from our users. Opinions expressed are neither created nor endorsed by KTBS.com. By posting a comment you agree to accept our
Terms of Use. Comments are moderated by the community. KTBS has the right, but not the obligation, to monitor submitted comments and remove content that we deem inappropriate. We also have the right to ban repeat infringers from further commenting privileges entirely. To report an offensive or otherwise inappropriate comment, click the "Flag" link that appears beneath that comment. Comments that are flagged by a set number of users will be automatically removed.
