U.S. v. J.T.
Not Guilty on all Counts
January 24, 2023, Roanoke, Virginia. The jury rendered its verdicts in the criminal tax case of United States v. Jeffrey W. Thorpe, Case No. 20-0020 (MFU). NOT GUILTY on both Count One (alleging tax evasion) and Count Two (alleging obstruction of the IRS).
The United States claimed that Mr. Thorpe owned and operated Shearin Construction Company from 2000 through 2015 and that his wife was a mere nominee despite the fact that the books and records of Shearin provided that she was the owner and officer of the company.
The United States argued that during the 15 years in issue, Mr. Thorpe purchased over 30 cars, multiple ATVs, several boats, 3 helicopters and a lake house. However, he did not cause Shearin Construction to pay nearly $1 million of employment taxes. The Government further charged that Mr. Thorpe had corruptly obstructed the IRS from assessing and collecting the taxes.
Mr. Thorpe’s defense centered around the position that he was not an owner, officer, or employee of Shearin Construction and was therefore not responsible to insure that Shearin timely paid its taxes.
The jury found Mr. Thorpe NOT GUILTY on all counts.
