03 veebr. Indiana casino exec and previous Republican lawmaker faces brand new income tax fraudulence expense
a federal grand jury slapped an Indiana casino professional with added expenses Tuesday for their alleged part in a program to channel casino funds into an ex-state senator's failed campaign for Congress.
John Keeler had been facing four federal charges for allegedly working with out-of-state governmental experts to enroll straw donors once the new fees happened to be introduced this week. Those straw donors funded previous state Republican Sen. Brent Waltz's congressional strategy in 2015. They certainly were next refunded with funds from Keeler's casino providers New Centaur LLC, according to federal prosecutors.
In a 2016 corporate taxation return for brand new Centaur's mother or father organization Centaur Holdings, Keeler noted a $41,000 organization installment with the out-of-state political professionals as a deductible expense. The guy in addition revised a corporate income tax return from 2015 to include deductions for $79,500 in business money for the consultants.
But bodies feel those payments were not deductible costs after all. They think they were resources the consultants routed into Waltz's venture coffers through straw donors, which may make certain they are governmental benefits. Campaign contributions can not be listed as a business expense under national legislation.
The fall of casino heavyweights
Keeler, a lawyer and former Republican member of the Indiana quarters of associates, has actually presented major jobs in condition's casino market. After brand-new Centaur LLC ended up being sold for $1.7 billion to Las Vegas-based Caesars Entertainment in 2018, the guy signed up with forces with another Indiana casino icon, pole Ratcliff, to introduce Spectacle activities.