Texas tax fraud case ends with final defendant sentenced in $8.5 million refund scheme

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Ciaran Ryan

02.06.2026

Texas tax fraud case ends with final defendant sentenced in $8.5 million refund scheme — Texas tax fraud verdict

A federal tax fraud prosecution tied to false trust filings in Texas reaches its final sentencing stage with a 90-month prison term for Brandon Hunt. The case centers on claims for more than $8.5 million in improper refunds, with the Internal Revenue Service paying out over $1.7 million before the scheme is stopped.

Highlights

Brandon Hunt is sentenced to 90 months in prison and ordered to pay $1,774,864 in restitution after conviction in an $8.5 million tax fraud scheme.
Four family members are convicted of conspiracy to defraud the United States, with previous sentences of 92, 38, and 94 months for David Hunt, Baylon Hunt, and Corey Burt, respectively.
The fraudulent scheme yields more than $1.7 million in proceeds used for luxury purchases, cryptocurrency, and a house, with IRS Criminal Investigation and U.S. Marshals Service leading the case closure.

Court ruling closes family refund fraud prosecution

As announced by the U.S. Department of Justice, Brandon Hunt is sentenced on May 28 to 90 months in prison after a jury convicts four men in a multimillion-dollar tax refund fraud case. His father David Hunt, twin brother Baylon Hunt and half-brother Corey Burt are previously sentenced to 92 months, 38 months and 94 months in prison, respectively.

Statements made in court and evidence presented at trial show the Hunts of Arlington, Texas, and Burt, formerly of Long Beach, Mississippi, carry out a scheme to file false refund claims in the names of trusts they control. Prosecutors say the group seeks more than $8.5 million in refunds the trusts are not entitled to receive, while Brandon Hunt also files multiple false returns in his own name.

The defendants also submit fake supporting documents to the IRS, including falsified financial instruments and altered money orders. Court records say they continue filing false returns and related documents even after receiving warning letters telling them to stop.

Restitution order and enforcement impact

The scheme yields more than $1.7 million in fraudulent proceeds from the IRS, which the co-conspirators share and use to buy luxury goods, furniture, cryptocurrency, a Cadillac Escalade and a house in Mississippi. All four defendants are convicted of conspiracy to defraud the United States, while Brandon Hunt, David Hunt and Corey Burt are also convicted on multiple counts of aiding and assisting in the preparation of false tax returns.

Baylon Hunt is acquitted on two counts of aiding and assisting in the preparation of false tax returns. In addition to his prison sentence, Brandon Hunt is ordered to pay $1,774,864 in restitution to the United States.

The Justice Department says IRS Criminal Investigation investigates the case, and the U.S. Marshals Service helps apprehend Brandon, Baylon and David Hunt after they fail to appear for the second day of trial. The prosecution is handled by Trial Attorneys Melissa Siskind and Daniel Lipkowitz of the Criminal Division's Tax Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark McDonald of the Northern District of Texas.

Our previous article on Joseph Sanberg’s sentencing detailed how the former Aspiration Partners co-founder received a 14-year prison term for a wire-fraud scheme that prosecutors said caused at least $248 million in losses. The report described allegations of falsified financial documents, overstated assets used to secure loans, and sham revenue arrangements that inflated the fintech firm’s reported results and supported further fundraising efforts.

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