As the second week of the trial began on Monday, the jury in Orleans Parish District Attorney Jason Williams’ federal tax fraud trial heard additional testimony from IRS agents.
It was anticipated that this lawsuit would rely heavily on IRS testimony and records, and so far, it has.
Williams and Nicole Burdett are charged with inflating Williams’ law office expenses by more than $700,000 in order to allegedly defraud the federal government of more than $200,000 in unpaid taxes.
A representative of the U.S. Treasury Department spoke to the jury on Monday about the law requiring companies like the law office of Jason Rogers Williams and Associates to report cash payments of over $10,000. Four of the ten criminal counts Williams and Burdett are charged with revolve on cash payments over that amount that, according to federal prosecutors, were made but not recorded.
Williams and Burdett kept money in a safe at his law office on St. Charles Avenue, according to testimony given by Williams’ ex-wife Bridget Barthelemy on Friday.
On Monday, Burdett’s defence lawyer Mike Magner, a former federal prosecutor himself, grilled IRS agent and investigator Tim Moore about the main witness for the prosecution, tax preparer Henry Timothy.
Timothy admitted last week that he wasn’t a certified public accountant, and Magner reprimanded Moore for not looking through his computer. He also reminded the jury of this.
We can agree that Mr. Timothy has been dishonest, right? Magner asked Moore.
“Yes, he has been untruthful, accurate,” Moore retorted.
“You did not search Mr. Timothy’s computer,” Magner questioned Moore.
I did not look through Mr. Timothy’s computer, Moore said.
Timothy said that he had fabricated his own tax returns.
According to Fox 8 legal commentator Joe Raspanti, the defence is likely to keep bringing up the credibility of the prosecution’s star witness.
Raspanti predicted that the defence would often remind the jury that Mr. Timothy is an admitted liar. “Because they understand that some of what he said will be used by the government; otherwise, they wouldn’t have him on. They’ve done it during the entire trial, so they’ll have to keep doing it.
The registrar of Tulane University was also called by the prosecution and testified that Williams’ records from law school in the 1990s showed he completed an income tax course.
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The prosecution could wrap up presenting its case as early as Tuesday, according to Judge Lance Africk.
