The Minneapolis police officer charged with killing George Floyd, Derek Chauvin, is now facing felony tax crimes as well, according to a report by The Star Tribune. Chauvin’s wife, Kellie Chauvin, was charged as well, and both received summonses in Washington County District Court to answer for the allegations. Authorities believe Chauvin may have failed to claim nearly half a million dollars in income since 2014.
Investigators found that Chauvin under-reported his income by $464,433 between 2014 and 2019, according to The Tribune. This total would mean that he owes the government $21,853 in taxes, as well as $37,868 in penalties. Because they filed their taxes jointly in this time, both Chauvin and Kellie have been charged with nine counts of aiding and abetting taxes-false or fraudulent returns or failing to file returns.
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Chauvin remains in jail on charges of second-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter for the killing of George Floyd. Kellie filed for divorce shortly after he was arrested, and has yet to comment on her tax fraud charges.
At least $96,000 of Chauvin’s unreported income was from his off-duty security work, where he had a previous relationship with Floyd. According to a report by CBS News, the two had both worked as security guards at the same night club — El Nuevo Rodeo — although reports that they had “bumped heads” were later walked back by co-workers.
Chauvin’s tax evasion case goes back much further than Floyd’s murder, investigators say. County Attorney Pete Orput told reporters it “was in the was in the works well before” Chauvin was arrested, and that Chauvin himself knew about it. he claimed that the Department of Revenue was “sending him letters last year… and they got no response.”
Orput added that this kind of tax trouble was “run of the mill, but it just happens to be the [police officer] sitting in Oak Park [Heights prison]. … The guy owes us money, and I want to collect. I don’t care about his other problems.”
Chauvin’s criminal attorney, Eric Nelson, said that he knew nothing about the tax allegations against his client and declined to comment. Chauvin remains in prison on $1.25 million bail, along with Tou Thao on a smaller bond. The two other officers in the case, Thomas Lane and J. Alexander Keung have paid bail and been released until their trial. Chauvin faces up to 40 years in prison if he is convicted on both charges against him. His last court appearance was on June 29.
