Ex-police officer accused in George Floyd case faces felony tax charges

The former Minneapolis police officer charged with murder in the death of George Floyd has now been hit with multiple felony counts of tax evasion.

Derek Chauvin and his wife, Kellie May Chauvin, were each charged in Washington County with six counts of filing false or fraudulent tax returns for the tax years 2014 through 2019 and three counts of failing to file tax returns for 2016, 2017 and 2018.

Mr Floyd, a black man who was handcuffed, died on May 25 after Chauvin, who is white, pressed his knee against his neck for eight minutes as he pleaded for air.

Chauvin is charged with second-degree murder, third-degree murder and manslaughter.

He and three other officers who were at the scene were fired.

Chauvin is in custody on the charges in the Floyd case.

Kellie Chauvin, who filed for divorce after Mr Floyd’s death, is not in custody.

Washington County lawyer Pete Orput said the investigation into the Chauvins was started in June by the Minnesota Department of Revenue and Oakdale Police Department.

Authorities allege in the criminal complaints that the Chauvins failed to file income tax returns and pay state income taxes, and that they underreported and underpaid taxes on income they earned from various jobs each year.

The complaints allege that they also failed to pay proper sales tax on a 100,000 US dollar BMW purchased in Minnesota in 2018.

Prosecutors say the Chauvins bought the car in Minnetonka but registered it in Florida, where they paid lower sales taxes.