Fishing guide among witnesses sought in billionaire's tax fraud case
Premium- About 20 witnesses have been subpoenaed to gather evidence for a competency hearing
U.S. prosecutors who accuse billionaire Robert Brockman of the largest tax-evasion case in history are seeking to rebut his claims of dementia by gathering records from his software company, his spiritual adviser and his fishing guide.
Brockman, the 80-year-old former chief executive officer of Reynolds & Reynolds, claims that he’s not competent to aid in his defense against charges that he evaded taxes on $2 billion in income and laundered money. He’s also pleaded not guilty.
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Prosecutors claim Brockman may be faking his dementia, and noted Monday in a federal court filing in Houston that he remained the top executive at his multi-billion dollar firm until November 2020. “Many of the individuals subpoenaed by the government can provide direct testimony and records on their observations and interactions with Defendant in his capacity as CEO of Reynolds & Reynolds," the government said.
An attorney for Brockman and a spokesman for Reynolds & Reynolds did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
About 20 witnesses have been subpoenaed to gather evidence for a competency hearing scheduled for September, the U.S. says. In its filing Monday, the government said it is seeking information from five that haven’t responded to its requests. While the information being sought isn’t tied to the alleged criminal activity, the witnesses had interactions with Brockman since 2018 that are “directly relevant to his claim that he is suffering from progressive dementia," prosecutors said.
Records sought by the U.S. include his communications with two senior executives who worked with Brockman at Reynolds & Reynolds; a fishing guide at his Frying Pan Canyon ranch in Colorado; and his spiritual adviser. Prosecutors also want business records from a holding company with ties to Reynolds & Reynolds.
The U.S. asked the judge to order production of records “with sufficient time for the parties to review, analyze, and if necessary, respond to, the evidence," according to the filing.
This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.
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