Tax fraudster's 2020 spent in judicial spotlight

January 06, 2021

A local man accused of a long-term tax fraud scheme and hiding funds from the U.S. government faced more scrutiny in 2020, along with his wife and children.

Neldon Johnson, his wife Glenda, and two sons LaGrand and Randale faced the threat of new sanctions after multiple alleged antics.

Johnson was at the bullseye of a massive, long-term tax-avoidance scheme that offered alleged solar energy accoutrements for sale to less-than-witting “investors.” Those individuals invested in Johnson’s company, RaPower3, in the beliefs they could set off their burdens of federal taxes— the scheme by all accounts filched at least $50 million from the federal treasury.

Johnson used the proceeds to amass land, houses, vehicles and other lavish perks. Much of 2020 was spent by a court-appointed receiver identifying all of the assets, taking possession of them and readying them for auction to the highest bidder.

The Johnsons had testified under oath they hadn’t destroyed anything the receiver sought, particularly documents. However, one item that got this newspaper’s attention in 2020 was a court record indicating they were caught red-handed doing just that. A witness told the receiver they had seen Neldon and Glenda dumping massive loads of documents into a local dumpster. Another newsworthy twist in the still-unfolding saga from 2020 was that Glenda had also filed liens against properties the receiver was set to sell at auction or had sold already. She was order to back off, lest she go to jail. The liens were later, and very quickly, removed.

Glenda has also filed multiple lawsuits since May against federal agencies—including the IRS, Department of Justice and even the federal judge in the case—another attempt to thwart receivership action.

In June, an appeal filed by the Johnsons was struck down. Johnson’s appeal claims the due process rights of several incorporated business entities he controlled were violated by the court’s ruling when his assets were frozen.

The appeal also argued the court erred in not dissolving injunctions against his companies whenever “new evidence” arose, and claimed Johnson could prove as much; like calling an expert to testify his false solar lenses—some of which are still slowly rotting outside of Abraham—could produce electricity, but did not do so until after a 2018 bench trial, which the Johnsons lost, had finished.

By September, the Johnsons were ordered to forfeit even more cash and property, including 2,200 acres of land and $1.4 million from family accounts.

The Johnsons, who have been accused multiple times of flouting previous orders of the court, were specifically warned against any funny business, including that the U.S. Marshals Service is authorized to take any measures to remove anyone deemed in violation from any of the properties now under receivership control, including a near-$500,000 residential spread recently advertised for sale.

The latest on the case is the receiver, according to court records, received requests from “other government agencies” to share information concerning the case. When asked by this newspaper which agencies had asked for assistance, the receiver declined to elaborate.

The original article is here.