Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin and his ex-wife Kellie were charged with multiple counts of tax fraud, according to recently filed court documents.
A criminal complaint issued in Washington County District Court said the Minnesota Department of Revenue records show Derek and Kellie Chauvin failed to file tax returns in 2016, 2017, and 2018. The Chauvins filed a late return in 2014 and an on-time tax return in 2015 and are facing nine counts of aiding and abetting the filing of false or fraudulent tax returns.
Prosecutors accused Derek Chauvin of failing to report significant income from off-duty work and Kellie Chauvin from her real estate and photography businesses. Prosecutors added that the Chauvins underreported their Minnesota income by $464,000 from 2014 to 2019 and said they owe the State of Minnesota over $21,000 in taxes. With interest, late fees, and fraud penalties, the Chauvins owe almost $38,000.
“When you fail to fulfill the basic obligation to file and pay taxes, you are taking money from the pockets of citizens of Minnesota,” said Washington County Attorney Pete Orput in a written statement. “Our office has and will continue to file these charges when presented. Whether you are a prosecutor or police officer, or you are a doctor or a realtor, no one is above the law.”
In the time covered by the investigation, the Chauvins apparently owned three different homes within their county at different times and one in Florida. The couple also bought a BMW sedan in Minnesota that cost over $100,000 but registered it in Florida, paying $4,664 in sales tax. The Chauvins had serviced the car 11 times in Minnesota but not in Florida. They never paid a sales tax on the car in Minnesota, and Kellie Chauvin told investigators that they changed their residency to Florida because it was cheaper to register a car.
Derek Chauvin was charged with second-degree murder and manslaughter following the death of George Floyd earlier this year.
