Government files suit against Newton County man for $2.6 million in unpaid taxes

A civil action filed last week in U. S. District Court claims that a Newton County man failed to pay his taxes for five years and fraudulently transferred his residential and business properties to keep them out of the government's hands.

In the lawsuit, the federal government claims William Phillip "Phil" Jackson, of Stark City, owes $2,663,312.30, including penalties and interest for taxes that should have been paid between 1998 and 2002.

The suit asks the judge to okay the sale of four pieces of property it says are owned by Jackson, including the property on which Jackson Tire in Granby is located, two other Granby properties, and Phil and Sharon Jackson's home in Stark City.

The lawsuit claims that after the government began pursuing Jackson for the unpaid taxes, he transferred titles to the four properties to four entities, Trinity Consulting, Rock Foundation, Gateway Properties, and Prosperity Leasing, without receiving equivalent value in return.

The trustee for each of those entities, according to the lawsuit, was Jerry Lahr, Fort Worth, Texas, but the government claims each was under the control of Phil Jackson.

The lawsuit notes that Lahr has an "established history of using fictitious and/or nominee entries to hold property and evade payment of his own federal income taxes."

On December 8, 2008, Lahr pleaded guilty in federal court to conspiracy to defraud the United States, by transferring his assets to various entities to avoid paying taxes.