SAPF client convicted of tax evasion

[Demosthenes]

Zwolle doctor guilty of tax evasion

Associated Press - July 12, 2008 11:54 AM ET

SHREVEPORT, La. (AP) - U.S. Attorney Donald W. Washington says a doctor from Zwolle is in jail after being convicted of tax evasion.

He says jurors heard four days of evidence and took two hours Thursday night to convict 52-year-old Dr. Garland D. Miller.

U.S. District Judge S. Maurice Hicks Jr. immediately revoked Miller's bond and ordered him jailed. Miller faces up to 10 years in jail and a $500,000 fine. Sentencing is set for October 31.

Testimony showed that Miller stopped filing tax returns after a 1995 audit. He joined an organization called "Save a Patriot," that claims U.S. citizens don't have to pay income tax.

[Demosthenes]

Not just a tax cheat, but an embezzler too.

Physician convicted of tax evasion
By Vickie Welborn • July 12, 2008

A Sabine Parish physician who was a member of an organization that taught people how not to pay income taxes was convicted Thursday night of income tax evasion in U.S. District Court in Shreveport.

Garland D. Miller, 52, of Zwolle, was detained immediately after a jury found him guilty following two hours of deliberation. U.S. District Judge S. Maurice Hicks Jr. revoked Miller's bond and ordered him detained until his sentencing, which is set for Oct. 31, U.S. Attorney Donald Washington announced in a news release.

Miller faces a maximum of 10 years incarceration, a $500,000 fine and three years of supervised release.

Testimony at the trial revealed Miller, Sabine's former elected coroner who operated a medical clinic in Zwolle, stopped filing his tax returns in 1995 after an audit. He joined the organization Save a Patriot, which teaches U.S. citizens do not have to pay income taxes.

In 2000, Miller leased his clinic building and equipment to DeSoto Regional Health System and became a salaried employee. He allowed taxes to be withheld from his salary, which is unusual for a tax protester, Washington said.

An IRS agent testified he conservatively estimated that, in 2000 and 2001, Miller embezzled more than $55,000 from DeSoto Regional.

Clinic employees testified at trial that Miller instructed them to convert payroll checks and funds due to DeSoto Regional into cash or money orders. They also testified Miller had them go to the bank and convert his paycheck and that of his wife to cash or a money order and Miller kept the checks that came into the clinic as payment for services rendered.

Pursuant to the terms of his contract with DeSoto Regional, all professional fee income earned by Miller belonged to DeSoto Regional, with a few minor exceptions, Washington said.

DeSoto Regional fired Miller in January 2003 following an internal investigation into operations at the clinic.

"The obligation to pay taxes due to the United States is long settled under federal law," Washington said. "This obligation exists for all without regard to one's station in life or to one's philosophy about the income tax system. When one evades the payment of income taxes, he effectively places a greater burden on those who lawfully pay taxes due to the United States Treasury. This office will continue to aggressively pursue those who illegally evade the payment of income taxes."

Added Michael J. De Palma, IRS special agent in charge: "This guilty verdict proves that while taxpayers have the right to contest their tax liabilities in the courts, taxpayers do not have the right to violate and disobey the tax laws. IRS-Criminal Investigation is committed to aggressively pursuing those taxpayers who willfully fail to file their tax returns and evade taxes."

Miller's tax crime was uncovered after Sabine District Attorney Don Burkett began an investigation into the theft of DeSoto Regional funds.

[Quixote]

An IRS agent testified he conservatively estimated that, in 2000 and 2001, Miller embezzled more than $55,000 from DeSoto Regional.

They were FRNs and therefore worthless, so he took nothing of value. Once you have mastered the trick of reading SAPF material without thinking "WTF?", you can rationalize anything.

[grixit]

I wonder if any death certificates will be challenged on the grounds that they were signed by a lunatic.

[Weathervane]

An airline pilot (again), a dentist (again), and now a coroner. That makes what? 3 weeks without a chiropractor? We must be wising up.... knock-knock-knock.

[Leftcoaster]

A Sabine Parish physician who was a member of an organization that taught people how not to pay income taxes was convicted Thursday night of income tax evasion in U.S. District Court in Shreveport.

Does anybody else have trouble with the statement quoted? Specifically the bolded portion.
I don't think it can be said that people are being taught anything when they sign up for these scams.

Maybe just a niggling little detail but it smacks of poor journalism to me, in that it might lead some poor soul to think that there is a way to learn how to stop paying taxes (short of reducing your income)

[grixit]

"Purportedly taught" or "claimed to teach" would have been better.

[drzeuss]

i joined this forum in order to post about this topic.

i live in the small town in which the former Garland Miller was practicing. Before i go any further i'd like to say when he was voted to be the parish's coroner i was not yet old enough to vote, so it wasn't my fault.

In my opinion the "good doctor" affectionately known as Killer Miller is lucky to have been convicted of "only" tax evasion.

Had the proper authorities known the entire scope of the situation that was going on at the Zwolle Medical Clinic the ten years he may be facing would seem like a walk in the proverbial park. But that is not here nor there.

What i wanted to tell y'all is about the absurd outcry from the public here.

The day he was convicted i began a thread at Sabine News, the local "gossip hole", somewhat detailing what happened in the courtroom. Immediately i began to get anonymous posts about the unfair situation that the good doctor found himself in.

i was at first a little shocked but figured that i was dealing with a few fringe idiots that were mad that they could no longer get their monthly loratab prescription.

Then i soon found out that it was more like the majority of these hard working tax paying individuals that were appalled at what i was saying rather than the fact that a doctor, who in this area is well off, was breaking the law by not paying taxes. The site moderator began deleting my posts so i've since then gave up on them.

i don't think the people here fully understand what transpired.

Myself, i feel neither sad nor happy that he was finally convicted i see it as he knew it was wrong, yet he decided to embark on that road regardless of the consequences.

So be it.

[wserra]

i joined this forum in order to post about this topic.

Welcome to Quatloos, dr. Are you the guy they sometimes call "Zam I Am"?

Then i soon found out that it was more like the majority of these hard working tax paying individuals that were appalled at what i was saying rather than the fact that a doctor, who in this area is well off, was breaking the law by not paying taxes.

Not only that, but according to an article on the site where you posted your comments (http://www.sabinenews.com/), Miller not only evaded taxes, but did so on money he embezzled from a local hospital. According to the article, a local grand jury - not the big, bad feds - indicted him for the embezzlement. Moreover, I'd bet the same folks who defend the good doctor excoriate the feds (this time appropriately) for their despicable non-response to Katrina.

I wonder where they think the money comes from.

[wserra]

"Purportedly taught" or "claimed to teach" would have been better.

And "scammed" would have been better yet.