Palmetto Man Sentenced to Federal Prison in $2.46 Million Tax Evasion Case
A Palmetto man has been sentenced to two years in federal prison after admitting to a long-running scheme to evade paying $2.46 million in federal taxes owed to the Internal Revenue Service.
According to federal authorities, Terry Brunning was sentenced by Charlene E. Honeywell to 24 months in prison followed by 36 months of supervised release. The court also ordered Brunning to pay $2.46 million in restitution to the IRS. He pleaded guilty to tax evasion charges in April.
Court records show that between 2005 and 2019, Brunning carried out multiple actions to avoid paying taxes owed for the tax years 1998 through 2001. Prosecutors said he used a business entity to purchase real estate, vehicles and cashier’s checks in an effort to conceal ownership of assets and the source of funds, preventing the IRS from enforcing a tax judgment against his personal assets.
Federal officials said Brunning lived in both San Diego and Palmetto during the scheme. The accumulated tax debt, including penalties and interest, totaled approximately $2.46 million.
The investigation was conducted by the IRS Criminal Investigation Division, and the case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Whitney Mackay.