San Antonio couple sentenced for Tax Evasion

Oh, San Antonio, you’ve outdone yourself this time! Meet Rachel Olivia Markum – a local woman who just scored herself a 15-month stay in federal prison. Why? Well, it turns out that playing fast and loose with your taxes might actually have consequences. Shocking, right?

So here’s the scoop. According to court documents, Rachel and her husband, Robert Franklin Markum Jr., put together a little creative writing project in the form of their 2016 tax return. Their “story” claimed their Camping and Fishing Outlet business made just over $3.5 million, while the real amount conveniently topped $4 million. That’s a few hundred thousand extra reasons to draw the IRS’s attention!

Rachel finally pleaded guilty to tax evasion and aiding and abetting in May of this year, and her husband, Robert, pleaded guilty to tax evasion back in April. His reward? A lovely 27-month prison sentence handed down in August. To top it off, they’ve been ordered to pay back $359,108 in restitution. All that work, just to end up footing the bill anyway!

“This sentencing underscores the serious consequences of defrauding the federal government,” U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza said. Translation? The IRS isn’t messing around, and you’d better believe that every dollar you hide leaves a trail.

In the words of IRS Criminal Investigation’s Acting Special Agent Lucy Tan, “money always leaves a trail.” The Markums now have a few quiet years to reflect on that.