Press Releases
BUSINESSMAN ADMITS GUILT IN WILLFULLY FAILING TO FILE TAX RETURNS
February 27, 2007
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
U.S. Attorney Dunn Lampton, and Michael J. DePalma, Special Agent in Charge of the
Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, New Orleans Field Office, announced today that
RICHARD K. BUCKMAN pled guilty to two counts of willfully failing to file his federal income
tax returns for 2002, and 2003. Buckman entered his plea before the Honorable Sul Ozerden, United
States District Judge, in Gulfport, Mississippi.
Buckman was indicted by a federal grand jury on September 12, 2007, on four counts of
willfully failing to file federal income tax returns for 2000, 2001, 2002, and 2003, in violation of Title
26, United States Code, Section 7203. Each count carries a maximum sentence of not more than 1
year in prison and/or a $25,000 fine, together with costs of prosecution.
According to the indictment, Buckman received gross income of almost one million dollars
during the four tax years covered by the indictment, and failed to file in any of those years even
though he was required by law to do so. As described by Assistant United States Attorney Mike
Hurst in court today, Buckman received gross income from his business, Buckman and Associates, in
the amount of $208,657.00 in 2002 and $62,755.00 in 2003, both amounts which greatly exceeded
the minimum income requirements for filing federal income tax returns for those respective years.
However, Buckman did not file federal income tax returns for 2002 and 2003, although he knew that
he was suppose to file such returns as illustrated by his previous tax return filings in 1997 and 1998,
as well as the multiple extensions he filed for subsequent years, including the years in question.
Buckman will be sentenced on May 28, 2008 at 9:00 a.m. before the Honorable Sul Ozerden,
United States District Court Judge, in Gulfport, Mississippi. U.S. Attorney Lampton commended the
investigative efforts of the Special Agents of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mike Hurst.
