A U.S. grand jury indicted a Florida dentist and charged him with multiple tax evasion charges for allegedly not reporting $3 million in business income and failing to pay more than $1 million in taxes, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
Dr. Jon Christopher Williams, who owns a practice in Jackson Beach, FL, was charged with 11 counts of failure to truthfully account for and pay payroll taxes, four counts of attempting to evade and defeat individual income tax, and one count of endeavoring to obstruct and impede the administration of internal revenue laws, according to a press release dated August 11 from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida.
Each tax evasion and employment tax offense carries a maximum penalty of five years in U.S. prison if Williams is convicted.
In 2021, the IRS began investigating possible tax violations. For tax years 2020 to 2023, Williams allegedly failed to report more than $3.3 million in business income and failed to pay more than $1 million in income taxes. Also, Williams allegedly has not filed a tax return since 2012.
Dr. Jon Christopher Williams.Jon Christopher Williams DMD
Despite his tax obligations, authorities claim that Williams used tens of thousands of dollars from a business bank account to pay for his children’s school tuition, used $310,000 to purchase a home, as well as money from that business account for personal travel, according to a story published August 11 in News4JAX.
Between November 2021 and May 2024, Williams allegedly sent multiple emails and letters to the investigating agent and others, including the agent’s supervisor, a Florida congressional member, two U.S. senators, the Secretary of the Treasury, the attorney general, the IRS commissioner, and an IRS district director, to try and stop any investigations into him.
Additionally, Williams demanded the investigating agent, the IRS, the Treasury, and the attorney general pay him $525,000, but they could “avoid paying the invoices by the immediate termination of [the agent] from her current position of employment, along with her prevention from working at any other agency of the US government,” according to the press release.
Finally, Williams stated that, to settle the matter, “A simple note from you, or your superiors, stating that I, and anyone associated with me, are no longer under investigation and that no further action will be taken against me, my coworkers, or my loved ones, as there is no evidence of any criminal intent to commit a crime, will suffice,” according to the press release.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
