Beaumont attorney pleads guilty to failing to file income tax returns

A Beaumont attorney who spent more than a decade in the U.S. Attorney's Office before going into private practice faces up to one year in federal prison and up to a $100,000 fine following a guilty plea Monday morning to once count of failure to file income tax returns.

According to the Justice Department, Olen Kenneth Dodd, 58, admitted that he knowingly failed to file income tax returns for calendar years 2002-2005 despite receiving gross income of: $373,931.60 in 2002; $267,735.00 in 2003; and, approximately $120,000.00 in both 2004 and 2005. The court hasn't set a sentencing date.

Justice Department spokesman Daryl Fields told The Associated Press that Dodd "has already provided money to the IRS to satisfy the taxes that he owes."

Dodd worked for the U.S. Attorney's Office in the Eastern District of Texas for about 13 years and handled primarily civil cases. He was based in Beaumont and opened a law firm here in 2000 after he left the U.S. Attorney's Office to go into private practice.

From Department of Justice - BEAUMONT LAWYER PLEADS GUILTY TO FAILING TO FILE INCOME TAX RETURNS -

United States Attorney John E. Murphy announced that Beaumont, Texas, lawyer, Olen Kenneth Dodd, faces up to one year in federal prison and a maximum $100,000 fine after pleading guilty this morning to one count of failure to file income tax returns.

According to the factual basis read in open court, Dodd admitted that he knowingly failed to file income tax returns for calendar years 2002-2005 despite receiving gross income of: $373,931.60 in 2002; $267,735.00 in 2003; and, approximately $120,000.00 in both 2004 and 2005.

Sentencing has yet to be scheduled by the Court.

This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation. It is being prosecuted for the Government by Assistant United States Attorney William R. Harris.