By Marina Pitofsky, MSN
Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer who was charged with murder in the death of George Floyd in May, has also been charged alongside his wife with multiple felony counts of tax evasion.
The couple was charged in Washington County, Minn., with six counts of filing false or fraudulent tax returns for the years spanning from 2014 through 2019. The Chauvins are also facing three counts of failing to file tax returns in 2016, 2017 and 2018.
Derek and Kellie Chauvin, who lived and were employed in Minnesota, “failed to file income tax returns and pay state income taxes, underreported and underpaid taxes on income generated from various employments each year, and failed to pay proper sales tax on a vehicle purchased in Minnesota,” according to a Wednesday statement from the Office of the Washington County Attorney.
The couple is accused of failing to claim more than $460,000 in income, according to the Minneapolis Star Tribune.
The criminal complaint against the Chauvins also alleges that they did not pay proper sales tax on a $100,000 BMW that was purchased in Minnesota in 2018, according to The Associated Press. They allegedly bought the car in the state but registered it in Florida.
Kellie Chauvin told investigators that the couple chose Florida because it was less expensive, the Star Tribune reported.
Floyd died earlier this year after Derek Chauvin knelt on his neck during an arrest. Floyd repeatedly said he couldn’t breathe, according to bystander video.
Derek Chauvin has been charged with second-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. The other officers involved in the arrest, Thomas Lane, J. Kueng and Tou Thao, have been charged with aiding and abetting in the charged crimes.
Kellie Chauvin filed for divorce earlier this year.
