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LAKE CHARLES, La. – United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced that a federal jury in Lake Charles returned a guilty verdict late yesterday against Joseph Randall Boswell, Sr., 53, of Elizabeth, Louisiana, following a week-long trial. Boswell was convicted of one count of bankruptcy fraud and one count of tax evasion. United States District Judge James D. Cain, Jr. presided over the trial.

According to evidence presented during the trial, Boswell knowingly and fraudulently concealed property from the United States Bankruptcy Trustee and his creditors through his Chapter 7 Bankruptcy case which he filed in September 2011. Specifically, Boswell concealed monies earned from nominee business and service contracts that could have been paid to his creditors. Boswell attempted to defraud the government by withholding information from the Bankruptcy Court regarding the amount of income he was actually making and property he had an interest in. Boswell was self-employed and withheld information from the court as to companies that he had control of through other family members. Evidence introduced at trial showed that these companies were established in the names of other family members in an attempt to hide the fact that Boswell was controlling and manipulating the business activities for these companies and earning income through contracts negotiated by him.

Boswell was also convicted of attempting to evade and defeat payment of income taxes due and owing by him for the tax years 2001 through 2009. The jury determined that Boswell concealed assets from the Internal Revenue Service by putting them in the names of other family members in order to avoid paying income taxes owed by him of over $597,000.

“This was a complicated case that involved countless hours of work by both attorneys from this office, agents with the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, and employees with the U.S. Trustee’s Office,” stated U.S. Attorney Brandon B. Brown. “Those who defraud the government through bankruptcy proceedings and attempt to avoid paying the income tax they owe are a burden to citizens who obey these laws. We will not back down from prosecuting cases involving this type of fraud and are committed to ensuring that these laws are not violated.”

“Yesterday’s guilty verdict is a direct result of the excellent partnership IRS-CI and the U.S. Attorney’s office has in combating violations of Federal law,” said Demetrius D. Hardeman, Assistant Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Atlanta Field Office. “This guilty verdict should serve as a deterrent to those who might contemplate similar fraudulent actions and who willfully violate their known legal duty of paying their fair share of taxes.”

Boswell faces a sentence of up to 5 years in prison and three years of supervised release on each count, and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentencing has been set for January 23, 2023 at 1:30 p.m.

The case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, and the United States Trustee’s Office and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cytheria D. Jernigan and Earl M. Campbell.