By Aaron Miller-
The fired Minneapolis police officer charged with murder in the death of George Floyd was charged on Wednesday with multiple felony counts of tax evasion.
Derek Chauvin and his wife, Kellie May Chauvin, were each charged in Washington County with six counts of aiding and abetting filing false or fraudulent tax returns in the state of Minnesota and three counts of aiding and abetting failing to file state tax returns.
The complaints allege that from 2014 through 2019, the Chauvins under reported their joint income by $464,433. It includes more than $95,000 of unpaid taxes, interest and fees, they now owe $37,868 to the state.
Imran Ali, a Washington County prosecutor, said the charges relate only to tax irregularities in the state of Minnesota, not federal taxes or taxes in Florida, where the couple has a second home. He said the amount of unpaid taxes could increase, as the investigation is ongoing.
George Floyd, a Black man who was handcuffed, died May 25 after Chauvin, who is white, pressed his knee against Floyd’s neck for nearly eight minutes as Floyd pleaded for air.
Chauvin is charged with second-degree murder, third-degree murder and manslaughter, after inhumanely placing his knee on George Floyd’s neck for almost 9 mins, ignoring his pleas for breathing air. Three other officers at the scene were also fired and face criminal charges for aiding and abetting Chauvin
Chauvin is in custody on the charges in the Floyd case. Kellie Chauvin, who filed for divorce after Floyd’s death, was not in custody Wednesday.
When interviewed by investigators, Kellie Chauvin said she knew she had to file tax returns every year, but she had not done so because “it got away from her,” according to the complaints.