MINNEAPOLIS _ The fired Minneapolis police officer charged with killing George Floyd was charged Wednesday with felony tax crimes dating back to 2014 along with his wife.
Derek Chauvin and Kellie Chauvin, of Oakdale, were each charged by summons in Washington County District Court with nine counts of aiding and abetting taxes-false or fraudulent returns or failing to file returns.
From 2014-2019, the Chauvins underreported their joint income by $464,433 and owed a total of $21,853 in taxes, according to the charges. With interest and late filing and fraud penalties, they owe $37,868, the complaint read.
Derek Chauvin, 46, remains jailed on second-degree murder and manslaughter charges in connection with the death of Floyd while in police custody on May 25.
Kellie Chauvin, 45, who has filed for divorce since her husband was charged, was not immediately available for comment.
County Attorney Pete Orput said the investigation of the two "was in the works well before" Derek Chauvin was charged with Floyd's death in late May, said County Attorney Pete Orput.
Orput said state Department of Revenue officials contacted his office in June with what they found, and "they were sending him letters last year" about no returns being filed, "and they got no response."
Then, when Derek Chauvin came under worldwide attention for his role in Floyd's killing, revenue officials "read the guy's name and realize this is their guy," Orput said.
The county attorney called the Chauvins' tax troubles "run of the mill, but it just happens to be the (police officer) sitting in Oak Park (Heights prison). ... The guy owes us money, and I want to collect. I don't care about his other problems."
The filing includes a litany of allegations. Among them, prosecutors say the Chauvins bought a new BMW X5 in January 2018 for $100,230 from a Minnetonka dealership and registered the SUV in Florida, where they have a snowbird residence, and paid $4,664 in taxes in that state.
However, the vehicle was serviced 11 times in Minnetonka and never in Florida, investigators say they found. Kellie Chauvin told investigators they opted for Florida because it was less expensive. The taxes due on the SUV had it been registered in Minnesota were $5,053.
Court records do not list an attorney for either of the Chauvins. Derek Chauvin's criminal attorney, Eric Nelson, said he knows nothing about the tax allegations.
The counts and their dates are identical for the Chauvins. There are six counts involving aiding and abetting allegations of false or fraudulent returns starting with the 2014 tax year. The other counts allege not filing taxes for the years 2016, 2017 and 2018.
The charges document various sources of income for the couple. On June 25, Minnesota Department of Revenue investigators searched their Oakdale home, which was mostly empty. They recovered a box of tax documents, financial information and work schedules. Investigators also searched the home of Derek Chauvin's father, an accountant who prepared their 2014 and 2015 tax returns based on information they provided him. The father said he filed an extension to do their 2016 returns, but that they never provided him with the information to complete them.
In an interview with investigators, Kellie Chauvin said she had not prepared the returns because "it got away" from her. She was accompanied by an accountant who provided income tax returns for 2016-2019 but they appeared incomplete or estimated, the complaint said.
The complaints also said that on June 26, one day after their Oakdale home was searched, Kellie Chauvin called Derek Chauvin at prison. She told Derek Chauvin during the record call that their unfiled tax returns were being investigated.
She allegedly told her husband that she is meeting with someone about "(20)16 to now." He then suggested using "who we have used to handle for many years."
She responded, "Yeah, well, we don't want to get your dad involved, because he will just be mad at me, I mean us, not doing them for years."
Also Wednesday, a Washington County judge granted Kellie Chauvin's request that their divorce file be sealed, citing "constant harassment from the public."
"The circumstances surrounding Respondent's incarceration has resulted in rage and violence throughout the community directed at both Petitioner and Respondent," the filing said, adding that financial information and a Social Security number were hacked, resulting in attempts to secure cash advances for tens of thousands of dollars.
"Allowing public access of this file will allow further harassment of Petitioner and not allow any privacy in this matter," the filing said. "In addition, allowing public access will allow the public and media to have notice of when hearings occur and will allow the general public to know the whereabouts of each party during the proceedings. Such access will negatively affect the parties from a safety standpoint."
