Robert Brockman, a Houston, Texas-based billionaire and CEO of a software company, was accused of receiving $ 2 billion through tax evasion, asset hiding and money laundering. The case is the largest of its kind in the United States, according to federal prosecutors.
Brockman, 79, has been charged with 39 counts of conspiracy and fraud. They span a 20-year period: according to the indictment, Brockman founded companies in the Virgin Islands in the late 1990s and then used them to hide assets from the IRS.
The authorities were able to obtain this information thanks to Robert F. Smith, another billionaire who was under investigation on charges of tax evasion. Smith escaped criminal charges by agreeing to help prosecute Brockman.
ANNOUNCEMENT: Robert Brockman, CEO of multi-billion-dollar software company, indicted for decades-long #tax evasion and wire fraud schemes. Largest individual tax evasion case in US history. #IRS @USAO_NDCA pic.twitter.com/558CWOK3FE
— IRS Criminal Investigation (@IRS_CI) October 15, 2020
Overwhelming evidence of the billionaire's guilt includes the infamous 2013 incident when he negotiated a $ 250 million donation to Central College in Danville, Kentucky — but withdrew the money a few weeks later.
Brockman's capital is estimated at more than $ 1 billion. He is the CEO of Reynolds and Reynolds, which make software for cars, and made most of his fortune selling software to auto companies.
At a press conference Thursday morning, IRS chief Jim Lee said he was so «outraged» by the nature of the allegations that he personally flew to San Francisco from Colorado to attend the press conference.
“These accusations should be sickening for every American taxpayer. — he stressed — the Law exists for everyone, especially when it comes to honest payment of taxes.
