ROBERTSON COUNTY, Tenn. (WKRN) – A former Springfield mayor was arrested on multiple charges – including sales tax fraud – earlier this week, according to the Tennessee Department of Revenue.
The department said its Special Investigations Section conducted the investigation that led to the indictment and arrest of 65-year-old Bruce Morris Head, president of the Stewart Williams Company in Springfield.
According to officials, on Feb. 15, a Robertson County grand jury indicted Head on one count of theft over $250,000, one count of money laundering, one count of tax evasion and eight counts of sales tax fraud after he allegedly filed false sales tax. returns on behalf of Stewart Williams.
After Head was arrested by special agents on Thursday, February 23, his bond was reportedly set at $85,000.
“The Department of Revenue has always been committed to ensuring that Tennessee’s tax laws and procedures are applied uniformly to ensure fairness,” said Revenue Commissioner David Gerregano. “We can never allow individuals engaged in fraudulent tax activity to have a competitive advantage over honest Tennesseans.”
If convicted, Chief faces up to 25 years in state prison and a fine of up to $50,000 for theft of property; sentenced to a maximum of 12 years and a fine of up to $25,000 for money laundering; and was sentenced to a maximum of two years and a fine of up to $3,000 for tax evasion and each count of filing false sales tax returns, officials said.
The Tennessee Department of Revenue said it is pursuing the criminal case in cooperation with District Attorney Robert Nash’s office.
If you suspect someone is violating Tennessee’s revenue laws, you are encouraged to call the toll-free tax fraud hotline at 800-372-8389.
