Birmingham-Area Businessman Convicted of Trying to Pay His $3.6 Million Tax Debt with Fictitious Instrument

Montgomery, Alabama – Richard Lee Graham, 55, of Gardendale, Alabama, was found guilty on Tuesday, September 11, 2018 for passing a fictitious instrument and obstructing the administration of the Internal Revenue laws, announced United States Attorney Louis V. Franklin, Sr., of the Middle District of Alabama, and Thomas J. Holloman, Special Agent in Charge with IRS-Criminal Investigation.

Evidence presented at trial established that in 2014, Graham owed approximately $3.6 million in taxes, penalties, and interest for tax years 2006 to 2009. To collect that tax debt, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) began seizing Graham’s properties. On July 11, 2014, Graham went to the Montgomery IRS Office with a fictitious “International Bill of Exchange” in the amount of $3.6 million, along with false supporting documents, in an attempt to pay his taxes. A short time later, Graham showed up at the Birmingham IRS Office with another fake instrument of the same type and amount and attempted to use it to settle his tax debt. He also had false documents mailed to an IRS employee in an attempt to prove the legitimacy of the phony check-like instrument.

Following these convictions, Graham is facing up to 25 years in prison, substantial fines, and up to 5 years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.

“Mr. Graham tried to dupe this country out of $3.6 million for his own gain. That is money that could be used to help children or the sick or could be used to build and repair roads and bridges,” stated U.S. Attorney Franklin. “Our office will continue to vigorously prosecute those who attempt to illegally avoid their tax obligations in order to benefit themselves.”

“Graham was a significant tax evader and thought he could outsmart the government in making his tax debts go away,” said Thomas J. Holloman, Special Agent in Charge, IRS-Criminal Investigation. “IRS-CI will continue to investigate and bring these significant tax cheats to justice and will hold them both financially and criminally responsible for their actions.”

U.S. Attorney Franklin commended agents of Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation who investigated this case, and the Alabama Department of Revenue who provided assistance. Trial Attorney Michael C. Boteler of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan A. Kirkpatrick of the Middle District of Alabama prosecuted the case.