In May 2020, only two days after Derek Chauvin, an ex-Minneapolis police officer, was charged with crimes under Minnesota law for the killing of George Floyd, Kellie Chauvin, Derek’s wife, filed for divorce in Minnesota state court. And in July 2020 the Chauvins were charged in Minnesota state court with nine felony counts of state income tax evasion, underreporting more than $464,000 of income and owing the State of Minnesota nearly $38,000 of state income taxes. Both of them in November 2021 pleaded not guilty to these charges. [1]
On February 24, 2023, Kellie Chauvin, now the ex-wife of Derek, in Minnesota state court pleaded guilty to state felony charges of aiding and abetting false or fraudulent state income tax returns for 2014-19 and not paying such taxes for 2016-18.[2]
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[1] The Chauvins’ personal legal problems were discussed in the following prior posts: Derek Chauvin’s Divorce Petition Raises Questions (July 8, 2020); Chauvin and Wife Now Charged with Minnesota Tax Crimes (July 22, 2020); State Court Rejects Chauvin Divorce Settlement (Nov. 20, 2020); Complications in Derek Chauvin Divorce Case (Jan. 20, 2021); Comment: Court Approves Redacted Chauvin Divorce Agreement (Feb. 4, 2021); Derek Chauvin and Ex-Wife Plead Not Guilty to Tax-Evasion Charges (Nov. 6, 2021).
(2) Hyatt, Derek Chauvin’s ex-wife pleads guilty to tax evasion, StarTribune (Feb. 24, 2023)
Derek Chauvin Pleads Guilty to Minnesota Tax Evasion Crimes
On March 17, 2023, Derek Chauvin pleaded guilty to two counts of aiding and abetting two counts of Minnesota income tax evasion and failure to file state income tax returns in 2017 and 2018. The State dropped seven other tax charges, and Chauvin was sentenced to 13 months imprisonment with credit for 13 months already served for killing George Floyd.
McKinney, Derek Chauvin, officer who killed George Floyd, pleads guilty in tax case, StarTribune (Mar. 17, 2023); Karnowski & Ahmed (AP), Chauvin, Who Killed George Floyd, Pleads Guilty in Tax Case, StarTribune (Mar. 17, 2023).