Ajit Karn
Friday in Minnesota, former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, who is serving a 22-year sentence for the murder of George Floyd, pleaded guilty to tax evasion, according to BBC. The individual confessed to concealing tens of thousands of dollars from the government.
According to a report by NBC, Chauvin pleaded guilty to two counts of tax evasion before Washington County Judge Sherry Hawley in a Minnesota court. According to a prosecutor’s office spokesperson, he was sentenced to thirteen months in prison.
In May 2020, the execution of unarmed black man George Floyd sparked widespread demonstrations across the United States. The assassination was documented on video, sparking civil rights demonstrations throughout the United States.
Chavin and his ex-wife, Kellie May Chauvin, were accused with tax offences shortly after Floyd’s death. According to a BBC report, she pleaded guilty to the same offences last month and will likely be sentenced to community service in May. Friday, the former Minneapolis police officer submitted his plea during a virtual hearing from an Arizona federal prison.
From 2014 to 2019, he neglected to pay taxes on $464,433 in joint income, including $95,000 earned as an off-duty security officer.
Kelly Chauvin, a real estate agent and owner of a photography business, petitioned for divorce following the announcement of murder allegations.
Together, they owed the state $37,868 in delinquent taxes, interest, and fees, according to NBC.
The Minneapolis Star Tribune reports that officials began to suspect tax fraud after interviewing Chauvin’s father, an accountant who prepared his 2014-15 tax returns.
Chauvin suggested they seek assistance from the individual “with whom we have worked for many years,” according to the report.
In December 2021, the white Chauvin pled guilty to violating the civil rights of Floyd, a 46-year-old Black man, during his arrest in May 2020 for allegedly using a counterfeit $20 bill to purchase a pack of cigarettes.
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Chauvin is currently serving a 22-and-a-half-year sentence after being convicted of state murder charges for Floyd’s death, which prompted demonstrations across the United States against racial injustice and police brutality.
In a distinct case, Chauvin pled guilty to violating the constitutional rights of a 14-year-old child.
In the 2017 incident, Chauvin struck the restrained child on the head multiple times with a flashlight while holding him facedown on the ground.
