United States of America v. David Hunt, Brandon Hunt, Baylon Hunt, and Corey Burt

Fort Worth, Texas, criminal defense lawyer represented the Defendants charged with participating in a multimillion-dollar tax refund fraud scheme.

David Hunt, of Arlington, Texas, his twin sons Brandon and Baylon Hunt, also of Arlington, and the twins’ half-brother, Corey Burt, formerly of Long Beach, Mississippi, orchestrated a scheme to file tax returns in the names of purported trusts they controlled seeking over $8.5 million in tax refunds that the trusts were not entitled to receive. Brandon Hunt also filed a false return in his own name, and Brandon and Baylon Hunt also submitted to the IRS additional fake documents including falsified financial instruments and altered money orders as part of their scheme. Some of these documents were submitted to the IRS in response to IRS efforts to collect the fraudulently-obtained refunds. The defendants continued filing false returns and other documents even after receiving warning letters from the IRS about their submissions.

Collectively, the defendants received over $1.7 million from the IRS based on the false tax returns they filed. Court records reflect that the defendants shared in the proceeds of their fraud by transferring money between themselves. They also used the refunds to purchase luxury goods, furniture, cryptocurrency, a Cadillac Escalade, and a house in Mississippi.

All four defendants were convicted of conspiracy to defraud the United States. David and Brandon Hunt, as well as Corey Burt, were also convicted of multiple counts of aiding and assisting in the preparation of false tax returns. Baylon Hunt was acquitted of two counts of aiding and assisting in the preparation of false tax returns.

“Fraudulent tax schemes such as this rob the federal fisc and the American taxpayers,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould. “This verdict rightly held all four defendants accountable for their roles in the criminal conduct – a result garnered by the diligent work of IRS-CI, the Tax Section of DOJ’s Criminal Division, and those in my office to bring these individuals to justice.”

“Let this verdict serve as a warning: frivolous tax arguments have no merit and will not shield anyone from prosecution,” said Special Agent in Charge Christopher J. Altemus Jr. of IRS Criminal Investigation, Dallas Field Office. “Those who attempt to misuse the tax system through baseless claims and deceptive filings not only undermine public trust, but also face serious legal consequences. The women and men of IRS-CI remain steadfast in our mission to protect the integrity of the tax system and pursue those who seek to defraud it.”

Sentencing is scheduled for March 26, 2026, before U.S. District Judge Mark Pittman of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas. The defendants face up to five years in prison on the conspiracy charge and up to three years in prison on each false tax return charge. They also face monetary penalties, restitution, and terms of supervised release.

IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case. The U.S. Marshals Service assisted in locating and arresting three of the defendants who fled mid-trial.

Trial Attorneys Melissa Siskind and Daniel Lipkowitz of the Criminal Division’s Tax Section, and Assistant United States Attorney Mark McDonald of the Northern District of Texas are prosecuting the case.

A jury convicted all of the Defendants.