Derek Chauvin, a disgraced ex-police officer, pleaded guilty in Minnesota to tax fraud on Friday. He admitted that he had hidden tens of thousand of dollars from the State.
He pleaded guilty in Minnesota to two counts each of tax evasion. The plea was entered before Sheridan Hawley, a Washington County judge.
The former Minneapolis police officer has been sentenced to death for George Floyd’s murder on May 25, 2020. This was caught on video. It sparked civil rights protests across America.
Former Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin addresses the court as a judge presides over Chauvin’s sentencing on June 25, 2021, at the Hennepin County Courthouse in Minneapolis.
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Soon after Floyd’s death, Chauvin and Kellie May Chauvin were both charged in the tax matter.
Officials have stated that they were accused of undermining the state of Minnesota by failing to pay taxes on $464.433 of their joint income between 2014 and 2019, which included $95,000 of his work as an off-duty security guard.
She was a realtor at the time, and also owned a photography company. Officials have stated that they owed $37.868 together to the state. This included unpaid taxes, interest, and fees.
Chauvin’s exwife, now living in Wisconsin, pleaded guilty to two counts each of aiding and abeting the failure to file taxes on February 24. The plea agreement provided for three years probation and restitution in the amount of $37,868, along with 45 days of community service. Hawley stated that she would be sentenced May 12.
After receiving information from the Minnesota Department of Revenue about suspicious filings made by Derek Chauvin, the tax investigation was initiated in June 2020. After a review, the agency opened an investigation.
The probe revealed that the Chauvins didn’t file state tax returns in 2016 or 2017, and also did not report their entire income for 2014 and 2015. The complaints stated that the Chauvins didn’t report all of their income when tax returns for 2016 to 2019 were filed in June 2020.
Chauvin, 46, is the white officer who was seen kneeling on Floyd’s neck. This happened in the early summer 2020. The victim claimed he couldn’t breathe, and then went limp.
A Minneapolis jury found Chauvin guilty of second-degree murder and third-degree manslaughter almost a year later. On that state conviction, he is currently serving a 221/2-year sentence.
On Friday, Chauvin was able to appear remotely from an Arizona federal prison where he is currently serving 21 years for violating Floyd’s civil rights.
Antonio Planas contributed.
