A federal grand jury in Birmingham, Alabama, has indicted Gary Forrest Edwards, a chiropractor from Shelby County, on serious charges including tax evasion, filing false tax returns, and obstructing the IRS. Edwards, proprietor of Hoover Health & Wellness Center, is alleged to have defaulted on $2.4 million in self-reported taxes while attempting to obstruct the IRS collection efforts.
The indictment reveals that Edwards consented in 2015 to submit overdue income tax returns for the years 2009 through 2013. Although he filed these returns and reported significant income, he failed to pay the $2.4 million in taxes owed.
Further allegations state that from 2015 to 2023, as the IRS pursued collection of the unpaid taxes, Edwards engaged in numerous tactics to hinder this process. His actions reportedly included transferring assets to his spouse, providing false information regarding his assets to the IRS, filing inaccurate tax returns, and presenting false statements to IRS investigators. Additionally, he allegedly filed misleading documents with a local court, falsely asserting that Notices of Federal Tax Lien issued by the IRS against him had been voided.
If convicted, Edwards faces substantial penalties. The maximum penalty for tax evasion is five years in prison. For the charges of obstruction and filing false tax returns, he could face up to three years in prison for each count. A federal district court judge will determine the final sentence based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other relevant statutory factors.
