Chicago Consultant Charged With Federal Tax Offenses

A Chicago consultant was indicted today on tax offenses for allegedly underreporting and failing to file federal income taxes.

ANNAZETTE COLLINS, also known as “Annazette Collins-Langston” and “Annazette Collins-Momon-Langston,” 58, of Chicago, is charged with two counts of willfully filing a false individual income tax return, two counts of willfully failing to file a corporate income tax return, and one count of willfully failing to file an individual income tax return.  The indictment was returned in U.S. District Court in Chicago.  Arraignment has not yet been scheduled.

The indictment was announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Tamera Cantu, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge of the IRS Criminal Investigation Division in Chicago; and Emmerson Buie, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI.  The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Amarjeet S. Bhachu, Sarah E. Streicker, Diane MacArthur, Michelle Kramer, Matthew L. Kutcher, Timothy J. Chapman, and Julia Schwartz.

According to the indictment, Collins willfully filed a false individual tax return for the calendar years 2014 and 2015, and willfully failed to file an individual income tax return for the calendar year 2016.  The indictment also accuses Collins of willfully failing to file a corporate income tax return for the calendar years 2015 and 2016 on behalf of her consulting and lobbying business, Chicago-based Kourtnie Nicole Corp.

The public is reminded that an indictment is not evidence of guilt.  The defendant is presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

Each felony count of filing a false individual income tax return is punishable by up to three years in federal prison.  The misdemeanor counts of willfully failing to file individual or corporate income tax returns each carry a maximum prison sentence of one year.  If convicted, the Court must impose a reasonable sentence under federal statutes and the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.