Bristol Man Indicted on Federal Tax Charges

ABINGDON, VIRGINIA – A federal grand jury sitting in the United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia in Roanoke has charged a Bristol, Virginia man with a variety of federal tax charges, United States Attorney John P. Fishwick Jr. announced today.

In an indictment returned under seal on March 3, 2016 and unsealed today following the defendant’s initial court appearance in District Court, the grand jury has charged Charles Doughty Sewell, 65, of Bristol, Va., with one count of impending or impairing the due administration of the Internal Revenue Service and four counts of tax perjury.

According to the indictment, Sewell resided in Bristol, Virginia, earned income and was provided W-2 forms by his employer. On January 2, 2010, a Final Judgment of Permanent Injunction against Sewell was entered in the United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia in Abingdon. The judgment was entered as a result of a stipulation between Sewell and the United States and permanently enjoined the defendant from engaging in any activity subject to penalty under the Internal Revenue Code and any conduct that interferes with the administration and enforcement of the internal revenue law.

The indictment alleges that between July 2010 and February 2015, Sewell did impede the due administration of the Internal Revenue Code by filing false tax returns and engaging in conduct, the likely effect of which was to mislead and to conceal income from the Internal Revenue Service.

The investigation of the case was conducted by the Internal Revenue Service.  Assistant United States Attorney C. Patrick Hogeboom III will prosecute the case for the United States.